Arancini

The cool cousin of mozzarella sticks, arancini are a sophisticated appetizer that will single-handedly take your dinner party from basic to bomb. The Italian dish is prepared by forming cooled risotto into balls, filling them with some sort of filling (we gave three options here), then breading and deep frying them into golden, crispy perfection. While they may seem like a labor of love to create, trust us—every single second is worth it for these cheesy, fried bites of goodness. Read on for everything you need to know:

The risotto.
The most work intensive part of this recipe is making the risotto, but don’t stress—it’s a lot easier to make than you may think. This recipe calls for a full batch of cooked risotto. You can go basic, but I highly recommend our creamy Parmesan risotto recipe. Have leftover risotto? Even better! Put your dinner leftovers to good use with this recipe. 

Filling variations.
Once your risotto is done and chilled, the world is kind of your oyster! We gave three solid options here—marinara-mozzarella, pesto-provolone, and kimchi-cheddar—but you can really go wild with your filling. My biggest recommendation: Whatever you choose to fill your arancini, I highly recommend incorporating cheese in some way.

How do I keep my arancini from falling apart?
If your arancini consistently falls apart, you’re likely skipping one crucial step: chilling your risotto for long enough. After cooking your risotto, make sure you’re chilling in the fridge for at least 2 hours, but up to 6. 

Tried your own flavor combo? Let us know about your concoctions in the comments below!