Cheesy Rice Balls

In Italian, these are called “arancini,” and our good friend Chef Tony makes these for special occasions – Easter, Christmas, birthdays, you name it. Although there’s some work involved in making them, these Italian appetizers are well worth it. You can make these larger if you want to serve them as a main course, and you can even start with cooked, leftover rice like his Mom used to. Plus, the cheesy center is a tasty surprise!

What You'll Need

2 cups chicken broth
1 cup Arborio rice (see Tip)
2 eggs
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
4 ounces mozzarella cheese, cut into 20 (1/2-inch) cubes

What to Do

• In a medium saucepan over high heat, bring chicken broth to a boil; stir in rice, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook 15 to 18 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.
• Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk eggs, Parmesan cheese, parsley, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Remove rice from heat and slowly pour the egg mixture into the rice, stirring constantly to prevent the egg from cooking until it’s thoroughly combined. Refrigerate this mixture for 1 hour.
• Place bread crumbs in a shallow dish. Remove chilled rice from the refrigerator and, using your hands, form the rice mixture into 20 (1-inch) balls. (Make sure your hands are wet to prevent the rice from sticking to them.) Make an indentation in each ball and place a piece of mozzarella in it, then cover with the rice mixture. (This is important so that the cheese won’t ooze out while it cooks.) Roll each rice ball in the bread crumbs until evenly coated.
• For full instructions please see : www.mrfood.com

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