Arancini: incredible Italian rice balls recipe!

Learning how to make Italian rice balls - arancini is very well worth your time. The taste and presentation are unbeatable! These are huge crowd pleasers!

• 2 cups of cooled risotto
• 1 egg
• 1 cup cubed mozzarella
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup ground beef
• 1/2 cup mushrooms
• 1/3 cup chopped sweet onion
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup sweet peas
• salt and pepper to taste

Step 1: begin by preparing 2 cups of your favorite risotto. It helps to make it an hour (or even a day) in advance, and simply let it sit in the fridge.

Step 2: saute the mushrooms, onion, and ground beef in olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Do not allow the mushrooms to burn, but make sure your beef is cooked. Set it aside.

Step 3: mix in the sweet peas into your risotto.

Step 4: Let's begin rolling the rice balls! Scoop up two table spoons of risotto mix into your hand, create a dip with your thumb. Fill in the dip with a teaspoon of sauteed beef and mushrooms, and add a cube or two of mozzarella. This will be the middle of our arancini.

Step 5: cover up the filling with more risotto, and roll it into a shape of a ball with your hands.

Step 6: beat the egg, and roll each rice ball in the egg, and then in the bread crumbs. Set aside on a dish. As you are rolling the arancini - preheat a frying pan with 1/2 cup of olive oil.

Step 7: once the oil is heated, and the arancini are shaped into balls, dip them into the oil. Fry them, consistently rolling them around the frying pan. "Wash" them with olive oil as soon as you set them into the pan. It will help the rice balls to keep their shape.

Step 8: once all sides are browned, pull out the arancini. They are best served with a red meat sauce!