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1
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and saute the garlic and onions until softened, about 2 minutes.
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2
Add the meat and cook until browned, breaking up large pieces as it cooks.
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3
Strain off excess fat from the skillet.
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4
Add the parsley and cook, about 3 minutes.
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5
Add the thyme, oregano, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, cayenne and red pepper flakes.
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6
Taste and add more seasoning if needed.
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7
Keep in mind that rice and cheese contain salt so be careful not to over salt the meat mixture.
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8
Let the meat mixture cool a bit.
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9
Add the tomato sauce.
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10
Combine the rice with the cheese but be careful not to mash the rice.
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11
Add the rice mixture to the meat mixture and stir gently to combine.
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12
Check the seasonings.
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13
Add additional salt and pepper if necessary.
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14
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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15
Use a small to medium ice cream scoop (number 10) to shape the balls so they are a consistent size, and then hand roll the balls as tightly as you can.
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16
Pour enough canola oil into a deep skillet or Dutch oven to reach 5 inches.
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17
Heat the oil over medium heat to 350 degrees F; use a deep-fry thermometer to check the oil temperature.
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18
Whisk the eggs in a small baking dish.
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19
Place the breadcrumbs in another baking dish.
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20
Roll the rice balls lightly in the eggs and then immediately roll in the breadcrumbs to form a coating.
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21
Shake off the excess breadcrumbs.
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22
Place them on the prepared baking sheet and refrigerate or freeze until you are ready to fry.
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23
To fry, carefully drop the rice balls into the hot oil, a few at a time, taking care not to overcrowd and lower the oil temperature.
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24
Cook until golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes per batch.
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25
Bring the oil back up to 350 degrees F before cooking each batch.
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26
Drain the rice balls on paper towels before serving.
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27
Serve with Marinara Sauce for dipping.
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28
Garnish with the basil.
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29
This recipe was created by a contestant during a cooking competition.
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30
The Food Network Kitchens have not tested it for home use, therefore, we cannot make any representation as to the results.
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31
Heat the olive oil in the bottom of a large pot.
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32
Add the onions and cook until translucent and softened, about 5 minutes.
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33
Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
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34
Use some of the liquid from the tomatoes to deglaze the pan, and then add the tomatoes, basil, oregano, thyme, salt and pepper.
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35
Use an immersion blender to puree, taking care to leave the tomatoes slightly chunky.
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36
(If you don't have an immersion blender, you can add everything to a blender or food processor.)
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37
Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently to keep from burning on the bottom.
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38
Reduce the heat to low and cook for 1 hour or longer so that the marinara thickens as some of the liquid cooks out.
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39
Check seasoning prior to serving.
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40
Add salt as necessary.
