Arancini is a great way to use up leftover rice or risotto in your fridge. It’s a super kid friendly recipe and basically eats like a rice filled mozzarella stick. Serve warm for the ultimate cheese pull! I like to think of them as the Italian version of hush puppies.

Ingredients

Cooking oil (about 6 cups-depending on your pot)

1 cup leftover rice or risotto

1 egg, beaten

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

¾ cups bread crumbs

1 oz mozzarella cheese (block)

marinara sauce (for serving)

Instructions

1. Heat cooking oil in large, heavy-bottomed pot on stove over medium heat until around 300℉. The oil should be 2-3 inches deep.
2. Cut mozzarella into 6 cubes.
3. Pour ½ cup of bread crumbs into small bowl. 
4. Combine rice, egg, parmesan, and bread crumbs in a medium bowl. 
5. Form rice mixture into 6 balls, around 2 Tablespoons each. 
6. Push a mozzarella cube into each ball and close ball around cheese. 
7. Roll rice ball in breadcrumbs to coat entire surface of rice ball. 
8. Using a slotted spoon, gently place 3 rice balls into hot oil. Cover with grease shield if available. If the oil is splattering, turn down heat. 
9. Cook arancini around 4 minutes, gently turning every minute or two to ensure rice balls cook evenly and do not stick to the bottom of your pot. 

Notes: 

• You can use fresh mozzarella pearls in place of mozzarella cubes.
• You can use italian seasoned bread crumbs for extra flavor
• Try this recipe with whatever rice you have on hand! I try to make extra rice when I am already cooking it to save for arancini the next day. You can freeze extra rice too, if you are not ready to cook it right away. Spread the rice out on a baking sheet to cool and then freeze in a single layer. Pour the frozen rice into a freezer bag and save for up to 6 months, but is best within 1 month.