Italian Mini Rice Balls Recipes

ITALIAN RICE BALLS

Steps:

• Cook rice according to package directions. While still warm, place in a bowl. Stir in the egg, cheese, 1 cup bread crumbs and parsley; mix well. Shape into tennis-size balls. Roll into remaining bread crumbs until well coated. In a deep-fat fryer, heat oil at 375°. Fry rice balls until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels. To serve, slice rice balls in half and top with warmed marinara or Alfredo sauce if desired.

ITALIAN MINI RICE BALLS

Steps:

• 1. Cook rice as directed and let cool. Mix rice well with all other ingredients EXCEPT breadcrumbs. Shape into balls (slightly bigger than the size of a walnut) and roll in seasoned breadcrumbs. Refrigerate for several hours - preferably overnight. Heat oil to 375 degrees and fry 4-5 at a time for only 1-2 minutes until golden. Drain on paper towels and serve. *It's important the rice balls remain very cold before frying and the oil remains very hot. *Makes about 24-25 rice balls

ITALIAN RICE BALLS

Steps:

• In a bowl whisk together the eggs, Parmesan cheese, basil or parsley (I prefer basil), pepper, and salt; cover and refrigerate.
• Pour the chicken broth (or water and a 1/2 teaspoon of salt) into a large saucepan and bring to a boil; stir in the rice, cover and reduce the heat to low.
• Cook the rice until liquid is almost absorbed, about 15 to 17 minutes.
• Remove from heat and gradually pour in egg mixture, continually stirring rapidly to coat the surface of the rice and prevent the egg from scrambling; allow rice mixture to cool in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
• Pour bread crumbs into a shallow dish.
• Dampen your hands with water and create 1-inch balls from the rice mixture, then coat each one with bread crumbs.
• In a small, deep skillet, heat enough oil to cover the rice balls to an adequate frying temperature (350 degrees F) so that a piece of rice from the mixture actively sizzles when dropped in; alternately, a deep fryer may be used.
• Fry the rice balls 4 to 6 at a time, turning as needed to ensure even browning.
• Drain on paper towels, then serve warm as is or with a bit of marinara sauce.
• Another nice touch you can use with these is to put a small cube of mozzarella cheese in the middle of each rice ball!

ITALIAN RICE BALLS

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and saute the garlic and onions until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the meat and cook until browned, breaking up large pieces as it cooks. Strain off excess fat from the skillet. Add the parsley and cook, about 3 minutes. Add the thyme, oregano, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, cayenne and red pepper flakes. Taste and add more seasoning if needed. Keep in mind that rice and cheese contain salt so be careful not to over salt the meat mixture. Let the meat mixture cool a bit. Add the tomato sauce. Combine the rice with the cheese but be careful not to mash the rice. Add the rice mixture to the meat mixture and stir gently to combine. Check the seasonings. Add additional salt and pepper if necessary.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a small to medium ice cream scoop (number 10) to shape the balls so they are a consistent size, and then hand roll the balls as tightly as you can.
• Pour enough canola oil into a deep skillet or Dutch oven to reach 5 inches. Heat the oil over medium heat to 350 degrees F; use a deep-fry thermometer to check the oil temperature.
• Whisk the eggs in a small baking dish. Place the breadcrumbs in another baking dish. Roll the rice balls lightly in the eggs and then immediately roll in the breadcrumbs to form a coating. Shake off the excess breadcrumbs. Place them on the prepared baking sheet and refrigerate or freeze until you are ready to fry.
• To fry, carefully drop the rice balls into the hot oil, a few at a time, taking care not to overcrowd and lower the oil temperature. Cook until golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes per batch. Bring the oil back up to 350 degrees F before cooking each batch. Drain the rice balls on paper towels before serving.
• Serve with Marinara Sauce for dipping. Garnish with the basil.
• This recipe was created by a contestant during a cooking competition. The Food Network Kitchens have not tested it for home use, therefore, we cannot make any representation as to the results.
• Heat the olive oil in the bottom of a large pot. Add the onions and cook until translucent and softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Use some of the liquid from the tomatoes to deglaze the pan, and then add the tomatoes, basil, oregano, thyme, salt and pepper. Use an immersion blender to puree, taking care to leave the tomatoes slightly chunky. (If you don't have an immersion blender, you can add everything to a blender or food processor.)
• Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently to keep from burning on the bottom. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 1 hour or longer so that the marinara thickens as some of the liquid cooks out. Check seasoning prior to serving. Add salt as necessary.

DEFALCO'S ITALIAN ARANCINI (RICE BALLS)

Steps:

• Cook the rice according to the package directions. I prefer to use a chicken stock to cook the rice, as it adds more flavor. Once cooked, cool slightly. Stir in the Parmesan, butter and egg yolk. Cover and refrigerate until cooled.
• In a large skillet, cook the ground beef and onions over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink. Drain and transfer to a bowl. Stir in the peas, tomato sauce, salt and pepper. Let cool, then add the Fontina and mix together.
• Shape the rice mixture into 11 patties. Place one heaping tablespoonful of meat filling in the center of each patty. Shape rice around filling, forming a ball.
• Place the oil in a large pot, making sure not to fill pot more than halfway, to prevent spillage. Heat to about 375 degrees F.
• Place the bread crumbs and egg whites in separate shallow bowls. Dip the rice balls in egg whites, then roll them in bread crumbs. Heat the oil on the stove to about 375 degrees. Be sure not to fill pot more than half way with oil, to prevent spillage. Fry the rice balls, a few at a time, until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels.
• Serve hot plain, or with your favorite tomato sauce. Garnish with parsley.

ITALIAN RICE BALLS

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, cheese, parsley, pepper, and 1 teaspoon salt. Cover and refrigerate.
• Pour water and 1 teaspoon salt into a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir in rice and reduce heat to low. Cook rice until water is almost absorbed, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and slowly pour in egg mixture, stirring rapidly to prevent egg from scrambling. Allow rice mixture to cool for 1 hour.
• Pour bread crumbs into a pile on one end of a cutting board. Dampen hands and roll rice mixture into 1 inch balls, then coat each one with bread crumbs.
• In a small, deep skillet, heat olive oil to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). (Should have enough oil to completely cover rice balls.) Fry rice balls 6 at a time, turning as needed to ensure even browning. Drain on paper towels and serve warm.

ITALIAN RICE BALLS

Steps:

• Mix the ground beef & rice together then stir in the cheese, parmesan, & spices.
• Mix the egg in with the meat mixture to bind it together. With slightly moist fingers, shape the mixture into small balls.
• Heat a small amount (about 1/4 inch) of oil in a frying pan. Roll the balls in the bread crumbs then fry until golden brown & crisp. Drain on paper towels & serve immediately.

ITALIAN RICE BALLS

Steps:

• Using a 4 liter pot, cover the rice with water and bring to boil.
• Simmer for 20 minutes, then cool until cold.
• Add the eggs, parmesan cheese, salt, parsley and garlic and mix by hand.
• Mold the balls into desired shape.
• Then fill a deep frying pan with mazzola oil ...enough to cover at least half of a rice ball...heat oil and carefully add the rice balls.
• The balls will cook fast, so make sure to turn them quickly, when golden brown place on plate to cool.