Rice Balls with Meat Sauce
TOTAL TIME: Prep: 50 min. + chilling Cook: 1 hour
YIELD: 6-8 servings.
My mom's deep-fried rice balls, flavored with traditional Italian cheeses, make a hearty main dish. She serves them with her special spaghetti sauce - my favorite - featuring ground beef and artichoke hearts.
-Concetta Maranto Skenfield, Bakersfield, California
Ingredients
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1 pound ground beef
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1 small onion, finely chopped
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3 garlic cloves, minced
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2 cans (15 ounces each) tomato sauce
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1 can (14 ounces) water-packed artichoke hearts, rinsed, drained and chopped
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1 cup frozen peas
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1 jar (4-1/2 ounces) sliced mushrooms, drained
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3 bay leaves
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1 tablespoon sugar
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2 teaspoons dried oregano
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2 teaspoons dried basil
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1/4 teaspoon pepper
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CHEESE-STUFFED RICE BALLS:
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3 eggs
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2-1/2 cups cooked rice
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1/3 cup butter, melted
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2/3 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
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1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
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1/2 teaspoon salt
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1/4 teaspoon pepper
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2 ounces cubed part-skim mozzarella cheese
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1 cup dry bread crumbs
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Oil for deep-fat frying
Directions
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1.
In a large saucepan, cook beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the next nine ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
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2.
For rice balls, in a large bowl, lightly beat 2 eggs. Stir in the rice, butter, Parmesan cheese, parsley, salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Roll into 1-1/2-in. balls. Press a mozzarella cube into each; reshape balls.
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3.
In a small bowl, lightly beat remaining egg. Dip each ball into egg, then roll in bread crumbs. In a deep-fat fryer or electric skillet, heat oil to 375°. Fry rice balls until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Discard bay leaves. Serve meat sauce with rice balls.
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