Super Party Recipe: Italian Rice Balls with Marinara Sauce

I have to tell the story of this recipe. My cast mate, Michele Ragussis from Food Network Star made this for us one night for dinner when we were working on the show... and then I got a chance to make it on the show a few days later. She gave me her blessing:) Mine's a bit different than hers AND hers has been perfected from her mom Phyllis' recipe... sooo good!!

These are the perfect party food. If  you just use ground beef they are inexpensive to make, you can easily double the recipe and you can even make them in advance and freeze them- just thaw and fry just before guests arrive. You will love these! Everyone raved about them during our Food Court Challange on the show. I even had a marriage proposal and one Italian guy said my marinara was better than his mother's! These are cheesy and delicious. Try them and let me know!

Italian Rice Balls (Arancini)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, diced small

5cloves garlic, minced

1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground veal
1 cup Italian flat leaf parsley minced
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, minced
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 ½ cups tomato sauce

2 cups grated Parmesan cheese grated

2 cups cooked and cooled Arborio rice (cooked until just done, not overcooked)

5 eggs

3 cups breadcrumbs with Italian seasoning

Canola oil for frying

3 tablespoons minced fresh basil

Marinara Sauce (see recipe below or use store-bought)

Special equipment: #10 (small-medium) ice cream scoop

Instructions:

Cook the rice according to package directions but you want the rice to be sticky so I cook a bit longer than I should and don't add butter or olive oil to the water. You don't want it to be mushy. Set aside.  

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and sauté onions and garlic for 2 minutes until softened. Add meat and cook until browned, breaking up large pieces as it cooks. Strain off excess fat from the pan. Add parsley and cook 3 minutes. Add thyme, oregano, and pepper, and salt, cayenne, red pepper flakes. Taste and add more seasoning if needed.

Keep in mind that rice and cheese contain salt so be careful not to over salt the meat mixture. Let the meat mixture cool a bit. Add the tomato sauce. Combine rice with cheese but be careful not to mash the rice. Add the rice mixture to meat mixture and stir gently to combine. Check the seasoning. Add additional salt and pepper if necessary.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Use ice cream scoop to shape the balls so they are a consistent size, then hand roll the balls as tightly as you can.

Pour enough canola oil into a deep skillet or Dutch oven to reach 5”. Heat oil over medium heat to 350-degrees.Use a thermometer to check the oil temperature.

Whisk eggs in a small baking dish. Place breadcrumbs in another baking dish. Roll rice balls lightly in the eggs then immediately roll in breadcrumbs to form a coating. Shake off the excess breadcrumbs. Place them on the baking sheet and refrigerate or freeze until you are ready to fry.

To fry:

Carefully drop rice balls into the hot oil a few at a time, taking care not to overcrowd and lower the oil temperature. Cook until golden brown, about 2-4 minutes per batch. Bring oil back up to 350-degrees before cooking each batch. Drain rice balls on paper towels before serving.

Serve with homemade or store-bought marinara for dipping. Garnish with the basil leaves.

Me and Justin frying it up on FNS 2012Marinara Sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

3 large cans (28 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes, including liquid

1 cup fresh basil leaves

½ cup fresh thyme leaves

½ cup fresh oregano leaves

2 teaspoons kosher salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

Heat olive oil in the bottom of a large pot. Add onion and cook for 5 minutes until translucent and softened. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Use some of the liquid from the tomatoes to deglaze the pan, and then add the remaining ingredients. Use an immersion blender to puree, taking care to leave the tomatoes slightly chunky. (If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can add everything to a blender or food processor)

Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently to keep from burning on the bottom. Reduce heat to low and cook for 1 hour or longer so that the marinara thickens as some of the liquid cooks out. Check seasoning prior to serving. Add salt as necessary.

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Perfect Party Food: Charred 3 Onion Dip and Baked Pita Chips

To me, there’s nothing that says party like potato chips and dip. Take the typical chips and dip to a new level with smoky baked pita chips and my charred three onion dip. Also creamy and delicious on veggie sticks if you are trying to cut back on calories. Better make a double batch!

BAKED PITA CHIPS WITH THREE ONION DIP

3 tablespoons olive oil

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon kosher salt-divided

¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper

8 pita bread rounds

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Combine all of the ingredients except ½ tablespoon of the salt in a small bowl. Whisk together. Brush on the first pita, stack the next one and repeat until you have 4 pitas. Repeat, making a second stack. Use a knife to cut the stack into eight wedges. Repeat with the second stack. Arrange the chips in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes; turn and bake another 5 minutes or until golden and toasted.

Sprinkle the chips with the remaining salt as soon as you remove them from the oven.

CHARRED THREE ONION DIP

1 small red onion

6 scallions

1 cup Mascarpone cheese

2 cups sour cream

1 teaspoon chives

½  teaspoon onion powder

¼ tablespoon fresh lemon juice

½ tablespoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper

1 tablespoon Worcestershire

Dash Tabasco

Slice the onion into 4 wedges. Heat a grill pan. Cook the onions and scallions until they are softened and the outside is charred. Chop the scallions and slice the onion very thin. Put in a bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and mix together. Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving. 

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SUPER GAME DAY MENU: Wings, Dips and Food Safety

Being a died in the wool Southerner, I have been to more than my share of game day and tailgate parties and I usually eat before I go. People ask me why I don't eat and I always say I'm too nervous or excited to eat but the fact is, I'm often scared to eat! I will often notice food not chilled or heated correctly and see cross-contamination that can result in a minor (or major) bout of food poisoning. Having been on the receiving end of food poisoning a couple of times, I always try to share tips on how to keep party food safe and I've teamed up with the USDA to try to help raise awareness about food safety so more party throwers will know how to prevent foodborne illness.

Boring? Maybe. Essential? Absolutely. Knowing how to keep my guests safe is at the top of my list of priorities. Watch the video and learn how to be party safe... recipes are below!

Food Safety for Game Day from Martie Duncan on Vimeo.

Food Safety for Game Day from Martie Duncan on Vimeo.

GAME DAY MENU

Let's get to the best part, the recipes. I do like to mix it up and serve something unexpected like my Ham and Cheese in Puff Pastry but guests love (and expect) the traditional wings, dips and chips. Here are a few of my own go-to favorites for your game day menu:

Fire Roasted Chipotle Chili- perfect for the slow cooker, this one is as easy as it gets and smoky delicious, too.

Fiery Diablo Chicken Wings- Make these as hot and spicy as you like by adjusting the amount of heat.

Charred Three Onion Dip-Easy peasy and so much more delicious than the store bought kind. Serve with veggie dippers if you are trying to cut some calories. Absolutely addictive!

Build a Bloody Mary Bar-Start with my Bloody Mary recipe and let guests customize their cocktails with all sorts of add-ons.

Homemade Guacamole-Because homemade guacamole and salsa contain lots of fresh ingredients, they can be two of the biggest culprits for foodborne illness. You have to make sure to wash every single item- even the ones you plan to peel. This is always a party favorite but make sure to chill well and offer a big serving spoon so guests don't stand and graze from the serving container. Since my mentor Alton Brown has the best guac recipe I've ever tried, let's use his. I see no point in recreating something that good. Get Sir Alton's guacamole recipe...

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE USDA SAFE FAMILIES FOOD SAFETY CAMPAIGN TO TO FOODSAFETY.GOV

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Easy Party Appetizer: Ham Delights

I first had ham delights back in the 80's when my sister-in-law made them for a holiday party. I'm not 100% sure where the recipe originally came from. I then made them for my own family and the recipe got passed around over the years. These little sandwiches make an appearance for most holiday get-togethers... even all these years later. They are so simple and perfect for a party because you can make them in advance... or even freeze them if you make up a big batch so you can have some anytime. Keep this recipe handy for tailgating season, too. Add some spicy chili or tomato soup and your friends will be happy no matter what happens with the game!

Cheesy Guilty Pleasure: Ham DelightsPARTY HAM DELIGHTS

Preheat oven to 400

Ingredients

3 packages Pepperidge Farms Party Rolls*

1 pound ham, shredded (use boiled or leftover ham of any kind)

1/2 pound Swiss cheese, finely grated

1/2 pound butter, softened

3 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard

1 small white or yellow onion

1 1/2 tablespoons poppy seeds

1 teaspoon Worcestershire

Salt and pepper

Dash cayenne pepper

Prep and assembly:

Prep the rolls by removing them from the tray and slicing them in half. Do not separate the individual rolls. Put the bottom back in the tray. Cover until later.

Next grate the Swiss cheese, if you did not buy the already grated kind.

Prep the ham by putting it into the food processor to shred it. Remove to a bowl.

Put the onion the food processor and finely chop. Add the butter, mustard, Worcestershire, S&P, cayenne, and the poppy seeds; whir until it is a spreadable consistency.

Leaving the bottom in the tray, spread the top and the bottom of the rolls with the mixture. Add a layer of ham and a layer of cheese. Put the top on. Dab a little butter here and there on top. Cover the entire tray with foil and wrap tightly. Bake until toasty and cheese melts.... about 20 minutes.

Slice in-between the rolls with a serrated knife and serve warm.

I've "gourmet-ed" these up by adding some unique farm cheeses... or Gouda, Gruyere, and Goat cheese is also a delicious combo!

*If you cannot find the little rolls... make this on a loaf of French bread- split in half. Wrap it in foil, bake according to the directions. To serve, slice the loaf into 1/2" slices.

Jean's Favorite Reuben Chowder Recipe

I have the best friends. And they always have the best food!! One of my favorite friends from back in the day, Jean, commented on our MARTIE KNOWS PARTIES page on FACEBOOK that Reuben Chowder was her favorite soup. We asked for the recipe and she posted it for us! Better than that, another one of our other BFF's, Terri, made the soup and took photos for us! (Terri and Jean were cheerleaders back in high school; see their adorable photo below) This soup looks totally delicious and I cannot wait to try it for myself.  Thank you Terri and Jean for the effort... you two still make a great team... even with your kitchens in different countries!

Jean's Favorite Reuben Chowder photo by Terri MerrenJEAN'S FAVORITE REUBEN CHOWDER

Recipe courtesy McGuire’s Irish Pub in Destin, FL

To make the roux:

1 lb butter

2 cups flour

1 cup celery- finely diced

1 cup green onion- finely diced

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2 gallons milk

4 quarts heavy cream

½ cup chicken base (find these in the same aisle you find boullion cubes; McCormick or Superior Touch brands are both good)

Jean and Terri½ cup ham base

1/3 cup caraway seeds

1 cup sauerkraut

2 lbs corned beef brisket

Salt and pepper to taste

2 lbs potatoes

Melt butter. Sweat onions and celery until tender. Stir in flour. Cook the roux for three to five minutes and then add the rest of the ingredients except the potatoes. Stir frequently to keep from sticking. Meanwhile, steam the potatoes separately. Add to chowder after it thickens. Jean and Terri from back in the day! Jean is front row, first one on the left. Terri is front row, second from right.