Brown Rice Arancini

These brown rice arancini were in my dreams last night. Fun fact: until I met and married my Italian (and 1/2 French Canadian) husband, I never heard of arancini. 

I think we bought them at an Italian grocery store his Mom used to shop at.  We brought them home and deep fried them and they were spectacular.

What is arancini?

Arancini, the Italian rice ball, is a delightful comfort food that combines crispy, golden exteriors with creamy, flavorful fillings. Originating in Sicily, arancini are made from risotto, often flavored with saffron, which is then stuffed with ingredients like mozzarella, peas, or a rich meat ragù. The rice balls are rolled in breadcrumbs and deep-fried to achieve their signature crunchy crust. Each bite offers a satisfying contrast of textures—crispy on the outside and soft and savory on the inside. Whether served as a snack, appetizer, or even a meal, arancini are a beloved Italian treat bursting with flavor and tradition.

What are arancini traditionally made with?

Arancini are traditionally used with risotto, which isn’t complicated but takes 45 minutes to make.  One of the benefits of working from home is that I turned on my rice cooker at around 9:30 and the brown rice cooked while I was working. 

Once done, I spread the hot rice on baking sheet to cool before making the arancini.  Simply put half the rice in your palm, add the mini mozzarella balls, and add more rice on top, then roll it into a ball.

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Brown Rice Arancini

A great way to use up leftover brown rice.  Next time I'll add a bit of sausage in the middle with the cheese for an extra kick!

 

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Ingredients

• 1 cup cooked brown rice
• 1.5 ounces mini mozzarella balls in water
• 2 eggs, divided
• 4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup pasta sauce

Instructions

Scramble one egg in a small dish and season with salt and pepper. Place the panko bread crumbs in another dish and add crushed red pepper.

Divide the brown rice in 4 portions. Mix with one egg and 3 tablespoons of the Parmesan cheese. Flatten each portion of rice and add the cheese in the middle and roll the rice around the cheese.

Once the rice balls are rolled, freeze for 20 minutes. Preheat air fryer for 5 minutes at 360. Dip the balls in the egg mixture, into the panko bread crumbs. Spray with avocado oil spray and air fry for 360 degrees for 6 minutes, then 400 degrees for 6 minutes.

To plate - put 1/2 cup heated pasta sauce on the bottom of the plate, add the crispy arancini, top with chopped parsley and the remaining Parmesan cheese.

Notes

This is either one serving for 4 balls, or two servings of 2 balls.  Can I say balls one more time?  Balls!

I ate three and was stuffed.  This whole plate is 7 points on #teampurple💜 and 13 points on #teamblue💙 and #teamgreen💚

Did you make this recipe?

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Love how that photo turned out – it was the reflection of the trees on my glass deck table. 😁

My niece Claire would have graduated high school with all the bells and whistles this past Sunday.  Her senior trip to France got cancelled and well, pretty much every other fun thing her senior year – prom and graduation included.  Congrats Claire for all your hard work!  How gorgeous is she? 

Having fancy senior pictures is unknown to me.  It was just a regular school photo and I remember that I forgot that it was senior picture day.  I borrowed some makeup from my sister, and rummaged in the bottom of my locker to find this rumpled sweater and was like “I’m good!”

I literally cannot believe it’s been 34 years since that photo was taken above.  Where has the time gone?  I pretty much look the same – ha!

And now I live alone.

Well tomorrow is the BIG day.  MOVING DAY!  Hannah and Jacob officially closed on their townhouse today and the movers are coming tomorrow morning.  I still have to work, so it should be interesting, but it’s all good. 

They are ready to be on their own.  I remember how crushed they were two years ago when the house they were going to buy didn’t clear title – basically the son of the deceased owner didn’t have the right to sell the house.  They had everything boxed up because that’s what Hannah does – organizes everything.

I lived with boxes nearly floor to ceiling for about six months before Hannah finally got over the fact that they weren’t moving.  I felt so horrible for them.

So this time around I was kind of like “are you guys going to start packing?”  Basically all their stuff that was from two years ago is still boxed and ready to go.  But I feel like they were nervous that something would happen.  Once they got their closing statement, I was like “you guys are good!”  But even today there was some hesitation of the unknown.  I like that they asked me to go with them.

So here is another chapter to our lives.  New beginnings for them and well. for me too for that matter.

One question I get asked all the time on IG is “Biz, are you going to be alright by yourself?”

And to answer that question:  Yes, I will be alright.

Go ahead and make these brown rice arancini and let me know what you think.