Baked arancini rice balls with spinach and parmesan are crisp on the outside and soft and warm on the inside. Arancini are a tasty kid-friendly snack or dinner.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Ingredients
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (gluten free if needed)
2 eggs, lightly scrambled
1 cup Italian breadcrumbs (or panko or gf plus 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning)
2 cups cooked short grain rice (white or brown)
1 cup frozen spinach, thawed and water squeezed out (about 1/3 cup drained)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 3/4" cubes
marinara sauce for dipping
fresh basil leaves, for garnish
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Place the flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs into separate shallow dishes.
In a medium bowl, stir together the rice, spinach, Parmesan, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
Roll rice mixture into about 1/3 cup balls. Make indentations with your finger and insert a piece of mozzarella cheese. Press rice up and over to seal and reform the balls.
Place rice balls on a tray and place in the freezer for 5-10 minutes to help set.
Roll balls in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs to coat and place on a cookie sheet generously coated with cooking spray or brushed with olive oil. Coat the balls well with cooking spray or brush olive oil over the balls.
Bake for 7 minutes, then turn over and continue baking another 7 minutes, until golden brown. Serve with warmed marinara sauce and fresh basil leaves.