Cheesy Rice Balls recipe is an Italian cuisine. They are served with Italian dinner as a side dish. It can be thrown very simple yet it is very tasty snack, appetizer or finger food that you can make very easily. These hand-held cheesy balls are super fun to eat. These rice balls have cheesy surprise with mozzarella cheese at the center that just melts in your mouth. Here is the recipe for the delicious and mouth-melting cheesy rice balls. Enjoy it with marinara or any other dipping sauce!

Ingredients:

– 2 tablespoons olive oil
– 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
– 1 medium-sized finely diced onion
– 1 cup finely diced ham
– 2 cups medium grain rice (Jasmine rice, un-rinsed)
– 1 cup dry white wine (Chardonnay)
– 5 cups hot chicken broth
– Sea-salt to taste
– 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
– 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
– 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
– 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, cut into 24 cubes

For Breading

– 1 cup all-purpose flour
– 3 large eggs, beaten
– 1 1/2 cups dry Italian bread crumbs
– Oil for frying

How To Cook?

1. In heavy-bottomed pot with tight fitting lid, add olive oil and butter and heat over MEDIUM-HIGH heat. Once hot, stir in diced onion and saut? it for about 4-5 minutes or until soft and golden.
2. Add finely diced ham and cook for another 2 minutes or until meat is golden.
3. Then add rice to it and stir until coated well with oil.
4. Pour 1 cup white wine and cook until most of it has evaporated. This will take about 2 minutes.
5. Then add 5 cups of hot chicken broth and salt as per taste then cover and cook until liquid has been absorbed by the rice. This will take about 15 minutes.
6. Now, stir in the peas in, then cover it with lid and finish the cooking until rice are soft and liquid mostly absorbed.
7. Spread this rice mixture onto a large rimmed baking dish to cool. Once this mixture is cooled, stir in finely chopped parsley and parmesan cheese. Mix them well.
8. Using heaping ice-cream scoop, form rice balls. Stuff each with a cube of mozzarella cheese and form a tight ball with the rice mixture to enclose the cheese.
9. When rice balls are ready dredge each balls in flour, shaking off the excess, then dip one-by-one in beaten egg allowing excess egg to drip back into the bowl.
10. Finally, roll the balls in breadcrumbs and coat the balls evenly.
11. Add oil to the skillet and heat it over MEDIUM heat. Once hot, add prepared rice balls and fry them until all sides are golden brown. Drain them on a plate lined with paper
12. Serve warm with marinara or ranch and just enjoy them.

Preparation Time: 25 Minutes
Cooking Time: 35 Minutes
Servings: 3-4 Persons