I always looked forward to her rice balls. Sometimes she’s make them for breakfast or lunch, while other times she would make them as an accompaniment to her dinner’s main course. Regardless, I adored them!
I wish I had my grandmother’s recipe, but sadly I don’t…nor does my mother. I do remember that they were meatless and that she baked them in the oven. They were crunchy and golden brown on the outside while creamy and cheesy in the middle. The contrast in textures is fantastic and her rice balls were always perfect…something I could never resist! 
There are several ways you can make rice balls. The Romans, Sicilians, and Napoleons all have slightly different recipes, some of which include frying the rice balls, stuffing them with different ingredients, or shaping them a little differently. I tried to find a recipe that came close to how my grandmother made hers, and I was very pleased with the results. They may have not been Nana’s memorable rice balls, but they were awfully close! Here’s a picture I took before devouring them.
Arancini (Italian Rice Balls)
Adapted from: Brown Eyed Baker
