Best Quick And Easy Italian Rice Balls Recipes

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.

RICE BALLS A LA TIM

Steps:

• Bring the rice and water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, and cook and stir the garlic until fragrant and soft, about 3 minutes. Stir in the ground beef. Cook and stir the meat, breaking it into crumbles as it cooks, until browned and the meat is no longer pink inside, about 10 minutes. Drain off excess grease.
• Place hot cooked rice, ground beef, salt and pepper, and 1/2 cup of pasta sauce in a bowl, and mix thoroughly together. Mix in the Parmesan and mozzarella cheese until mozzarella cheese melts. Scoop up handfuls of rice mixture, and gently form into 2 1/2-inch balls. Place balls on a baking sheet, and refrigerate until cool and firm, about 20 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Remove the rice balls from the refrigerator, and roll each in beaten egg and then bread crumbs to thoroughly coat. Return to baking sheet, and bake until the outside of the rice balls is crispy, about 25 minutes. Heat 1 1/2 cups of pasta sauce in a saucepan over medium heat, and cover rice balls with heated sauce to serve.

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 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