CT Style with Ryan Kristafer & Teresa Dufour Making Arancini Reuben Balls!
With a maiden name like Reilly you know I’m going to have a yummy recipe up my sleeves for your left over St. Patty’s Day corned beef! Yes, I was psyched to be back with Ryan and Teresa making Arancini Reuben Balls in The Bender kitchen on CT Style this week! I do love being on the set there and everyone loved my corned beef creation! Another exciting part about being on the set at WTNH is meeting new guests getting ready to go on camera doing their segments…never a dull moment!
These risotto balls are crispy on the outside and creamy and cheesy on the inside…mini Reubens! All you need is 1 1/2 cups of left over corned beef to make these outragerous Arancini Reuben Balls! Risotto, cornbeef, jalapeño, cream cheese, swiss cheese and mozzarella come together to form these litttle melt in your mouth morsels.
They are actually lighter then you think, perhaps the cream cheese in the recipe helps to make for that satiny texture you get as it puffs when it’s heated. I serve the Arancini Reuben Balls with my gourmet thousand island dressing which I make with Greek yogurt and a creamy horseradish to compliment the corned beef. My homemade thousand island dressing make for the ideal accompaniment.
Risotto balls, in general, are actually an Italian appetizer made with left over risotto, stuffed with mozzarella and prosciutto, then breaded and deep fried! I wanted these Arancini Reuben Balls, to be a cross between a reuben and popper. Oh boy, they are out of this world.
These gourmet Arancini Reuben Balls are the perfect creation for your left over St. Patrick’s Day corned beef. They freeze up really well too which will make for a nice little treat at a later date though I doubt you’ll have any left behind.
My homemade Arancini Reuben Balls are absolutely gourmet. Arancini balls, also called risotto balls, are an Italian appetizer made with left over risotto, stuffed with mozzarella and prosciutto, then breaded and deep fried! Oh boy, they are out of this world. They are crispy on the outside, and creamy and cheesy on the the inside. You can eat them plain or serve them with a tomato sauce.
My homemade Arancini Reuben Balls are made with risotto, diced corned beef, Swiss cheese, cream cheese and sautéed jalapeño’s to incorporate that “popper” flavor! I serve them with my gourmet thousand island dressing which I make with Greek yogurt and a creamy horseradish to compliment the corned beef. The flavors of the risotto balls paired up with the thousand island dressing are outstanding!
Do you remember having poppers? You know, those deep fried jalapeno’s stuffed with cream cheese? Wow, I used to love those little morsels and I haven’t had them in ages so that’s why I thought it would be fun to put a twist on my Risotto Reuben Balls. It was a great idea too because the cream cheese lightens up the risotto balls and the jalapeno’s give it that something extra special!
You’ll be so happy when you make these homemade gourmet Arancini Reuben Balls with your left over St. Patrick’s Day corned beef. They freeze up really well too which will make for a nice little treat at a later date although I highly doubt you’ll have any left behind.
Risotto Ingredients and Directions – Total time to make approx. 30 minutes:
I halved my recipe specifically for the Arancini Reuben Balls but I usually make full a full recipe, double the amount below
1 cup Arborio Rice
3/4 cup finely chopped sweet onion
2 tbsp butter and a drizzle of olive oil
1/3 cup white wine
4 cups hot chicken broth – homemade or store bought
1/2 cup grated Reggiano Parmesano
Directions:
In small pot heat 4 cups chicken stock til simmering
Add onion to medium size pot to 1 tbsp. butter & sauté on low til soft
Stir in 1 cup Arborio rice and sauté til the rice looks chalky
Add in 1/3 cup white wineat a time, keep stirring, when wine is absorbed begin to add in 4 cups of simmering chicken stock ONLY 1/2 cup at a time-it will be approx 4 minutes for each addition
ONLY add in chicken stock when previously addition is completely absorbed while STIRRING all the time
Stir in 1 tbsp butter and 1/2 cup Reggiano Parmesano after the last of the chicken stock is absorbed, then let cool to make Arancini Reuben Balls.
Ingredients- Makes 20 – 1 1/2″ Arancini Balls:
1 1/4 cup diced into 1/4″ pieces of corned beef
2 cups cooked risotto (see below for recipe my recipe for risotto)
4 oz. softened cream cheese
1/4 cup grated and packed Jarlsberg swiss cheese
1/4 cup grated and packed mozzarella cheese
2 jalapeno’s finely diced and sauteed just til barely softened 2 minutes
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 lg eggs
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
Directions for Arancini Reuben Balls:
Put all of the above ingredients into a large bowl and stir with spatula til mixed
Use cookie scoop and from balls, roll in hands after scooping to get nice and round
Whisk eggs in a med. bowl
Add bread crumbs to another and begin the dip formed risotto balls into egg and them into bread crumbs and place on dish
Put breaded risotto Reuben balls in frig for 20-30 minutes
When the Reuben balls are chilled heat 1/2″ vegetable oil in medium size pan and begin to heat on low for 5 minutes and then turn up to med/high to 350º
Add in Arancini Reuben Balls in 2 batches into hot oil
Fry for about 2 minutes and then turn over for another 2 minutes til golden
Remove to cookie rack covered with paper towels to absorb excess oil
Plate up Arancini Reuben Balls with my homemade gourmet thousand island recipe below 🙂
This Thousand Island Dressing is great on Reuben Wrapsalso
INGREDIENTS FOR THOUSAND ISLAND DRESSING:
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
2/3 cup Hellman’s mayonnaise
1/2 cup ketchup
1 Heaping tbsp finely chopped cornichons
1/3 cup sweet relish
1 Heaping tbsp grated sweet onion
1 Heaping tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
3 tbsp creamy horseradish
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp “seasoned” rice wine vinegar
1-3 dashes of Siracha
DIRECTIONS:
Put all ingredients into a large bowl and whisk til combined