Mozzarella and Rice Fritters

Here in Italy, you can get little balls of fried rice, pasta, mashed potatoes or macaroni & cheese.  With my limited Italian, I never know what I'm going to find inside my little ball of fried loveliness.  (P.S.  Isn't that the blandest picture you have ever seen?)


Of course, I had to try them at home. I took a twisty mozzarella and cheddar cheese stick and cut it into 5 pieces.

Take the rice and make a ball around each piece of cheese.   Mine got too big - these are about the size of a racquetball.  I think they would have been much better if they were smaller but I didn't think it was working.  I had to wet my hands to keep the rice from sticking.

Once they were made into balls, then dip them in egg and dip them in the panko.

Spray a cookie sheet liberally with oil and place the panko covered rice balls on the sheet.  Spray the top of the balls with a bit more oil.  Bake in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes, flip, and spray again.

Place back in the oven for another 5-10 minutes, until golden brown, or until the cheese starts oozing out.

Serve with marinara or salsa, if desired.

The Verdict

I'm afraid you only get one person's opinion about these, as I was the only person who got any.  I thought they were just okay, but has tremendous potential. These were too big to eat comfortably and and too ricey. Next time, I'm going to use shredded cheese and mix it in with the rice, and maybe throw the egg in with the rice as well.

Mozzarella and Rice Fritters


mozzarella cheese, or whatever kind of cheese you would like to use
leftover rice (previously frozen is fine)
egg
panko (japanese bread crumbs)
spray oil

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit.

Cut the cheese into cubes.  Using damp hands, form the rice into balls around the cheese.

Beat the eggs in a bowl.  Place the panko in another bowl.  Dip each ball in egg, then in panko.

Place balls on well oiled cookie sheet.  Spritz tops and sides with more oil.

Bake for 10 minutes.  Turn over and spritz again.

Bake for additional 5-10 minutes, until golden and hot through.  Serve with marinara or salsa if desired.