Easy peasy Arancini balls with Perfect Italiano Pizza Plus Cheese!

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My favourite season is back! 

With all my Christmas feasts lined up, I am sure while the glasses and cutlery clink, so will my pounds pile but it is Christmas right? The best and last month of the year to reminisce, eat, drink and make merry. 

Every year, Christmas is not complete without the Mom’s grand feast – this is already beginning to sound like the graduation feast at Hogwart’s. Think a fat turkey amidst a 5 course dinner that gets displayed like a buffet spread – aye, delicious traditions. I decided to contribute this year with an appetizer tapas, both easy to eat and a perfect accompaniment with the bubbly before the serious business starts. 

I decided to make bite sized appetizers combining risotto, Perfect Italiano Pizza Plus cheese and sausages into this recipe. This superior cheese blend consists of Mozzarella, Parmesan and Cheddar. Mozzarella gives the recipe a stretchy nature and melts beautifully, while Parmesan and Cheddar adds flavour to the recipe. Sounds like a mega yum-a-mum going on already! 

Arancini

Italian rice ball made with white wine risotto, and a surprise in the center! This recipe makes 15 balls nicely. 

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Risotto recipe

1 ½  tablespoons salted butter

½ small onion, finely chopped

¾ cup uncooked Arborio rice

½ cup dry white wine

2 cups boiling chicken stock

1 teaspoon freshly grounded black pepper

6 tablespoons (90 grams) Perfect Italiano Pizza Plus Cheese

 

1.       Melt the salted butter over low heat on the stove and toss in the finely chopped onions when butter has melted. Fry till fragrant.

2.       Pour uncooked Arborio rice into the pan and stir till rice turns slightly translucent.

3.       Empty dry white wine into the pan and let it bubble.

4.       Add in chicken stock in ½ cups and allow the rice to simmer in the stock. Until the stock reduces the rice mixture into a starchy mixture, add the rest of the chicken stock. This should take 20 minutes before the rice gets cooked to the right consistency. It should be al dente. Fold in the Perfect Italiano Pizza Plus Cheese and sprinkle black pepper.

5.       Allow the cooked risotto to cool. 

Riceballl recipe

1 egg beaten

2 tablespoons (30 grams) Perfect Italiano Pizza Plus Cheese

¾ cup bread crumbs

2 ounces coarsely chopped sausage 

1.       Fold in the beaten egg, cheese and breadcrumbs

2.       Form a flat ball with two table spoons of risotto rice mixture, place the sausage and cheese within and close the ball.

3.       Roll the ball in bread crumbs. This recipe yields approximately 15 servings.

4.       Preheat the airfryer to 180°C and air fry the rice balls for 12-15 minutes depending on your preference of golden brown.

5.       Remove the browned rice balls and serve.

  

Trial run completed and it received the thumbs up from my lab rats, now…onto the big day! These crispy delights can be served with a dip or eaten as they are. Serve them in paper cones so they can be eaten anywhere, everywhere!

 

Easy to make recipe for this festive season, what’s more these can be pre-made ahead and frozen too. Just air fry them way before you need to and saves you the greasiness in the kitchen. 

Merry Christmas from my kitchen!

For more ideas, log on to www.perfectitaliano.com.sg