It is peak holiday party season right now! We figured it would be the perfect time to share a delicious and relatively easy appetizer idea sure to be a crowd pleaser. Arancini are a Sicilian speciality made with leftover risotto rice and cheese and fried to a nice golden brown. They are a popular street food across Italy, for good reason! Who doesn’t love cheesy fried carbs? We wanted to try a new spin on these tasty Italian bites by combining them with a classic American appetizer, spinach artichoke dip! These tasty Arancini look challenging but with a few shortcuts can come together in about 30 minutes.
We used a few tricks to get these Arancini just right. Firstly, we used leftover cooked rice, rather than trying to make the rice the same day. If you have an Instant Pot, you can make the rice in about 10 minutes the night before and just leave it in the fridge overnight! Nowadays, you can even find pre-cooked rice or frozen rice in the supermarket. Whatever way you go about it, this dish works best with leftover rice that is cold or at room temperature, so don’t strain yourself trying to make it all on the same day.
The next shortcut is using store bought spinach artichoke dip. We opted for the frozen Trader Joe’s Spinach Artichoke Dip, which worked out just perfectly. The box contains about 8 ounces. We recommend defrosting it for the recipe, but if you are short on time, you can microwave it. Just be sure not to get it super hot, as it will be harder to form the rice balls after.
Another quick tip, we used string cheese to place in the middle of each arancini to ensure optimal cheesiness. The cheese sticks are perfect because they are already the perfect width. Just cut each stick into about 5 even pieces and they’re the perfect size. Finally, we opted for a store bought marinara sauce for dipping! Just heat up briefly in the microwave or on the stovetop before serving.
All these little steps helped to save tons of time in the kitchen, allowing us to create these unique and delicious bites, perfect to impress at any holiday party! And in case you need other quick and easy appetizer ideas, we’ve partnered up again with some awesome fellow food bloggers to bring you 8 additional recipes to entertain your guests when you’re short on time.
Sundried Tomato Basil Torte by Nibble n Nest
Keto Boursin Cheese Cucumber Bites by DeSocio in the Kitchen
Cheddar Cheese Shortbread by Krazy Kitchen Mom
Baked Brie in Puff Pastry with Pear, Fig & Toasted Almonds by The Perks of Being Us
Mini Cranberry Pecan Goat Cheese Balls by Table and Dish
Smoked Salmon Crostini by My Dayly Kitchen
Flatbread Bites with Halloumi Cheese by Michelle Sips and Savors
Wreath Cheese Spread by Another Tablespoon
Ingredients
Method
- Place 1 cup of flour into a shallow bowl and set aside. Do the same with the beaten eggs and the breadcrumbs in separate bowls and set aside.
- Combine the cooked rice with spinach artichoke dip in a large bowl, mixing gently to combine well.
- Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the rice mixture in the palm of your hand. Then, place 1 piece of the mozzarella stick in the center of the rice. Cover the mozzarella entirely using additional rice mixture, about an extra 1-2 tablespoons, and roll into a ball. If having trouble rolling the mixture, it may help to flour your hands to prevent sticking.
- Next, roll the rice ball in the flour to coat. Then, dip into the beaten eggs followed by the breadcrumbs. Set onto a large baking sheet and repeat until you have finished all the rice mixture.
- Heat up the canola oil in a deep pot or skillet over medium-high heat.
- Gently place the arancini into the hot oil, being careful not to overcrowd the pot, cooking for about 4 minutes or until golden brown on all sides. Remove and place onto a paper towel to absorb excess oil. Continue until you have fried all of the arancini.
- Serve with grated parmesan cheese on top and a side of warm marinara sauce for dipping.