Hello — I made crunchy balls of gooey cheese.
Can we be friends forever? I hope so.
How was your weekend? How was Thanksgiving, if you celebrated? I hosted this year and, somehow, I barely took any photos. On the bright side, the house didn’t catch fire, the stuffing wasn’t burned, and the gravy wasn’t lumpy — win.
I didn’t do my usual Thanksgiving roundup over on Crumbs because I was fully in the moment. I loved every minute of it, and now I wish I had snapped more photos to relive the day — especially the insane chocolate peanut butter brownies I made.
Since then we’ve been decorating nonstop. We told Max we were turning the house into a winter wonderland, and now he runs around yelling “wonderwand!” It’s impossible not to melt. We’re also watching the Grinch and hoping he’s not scarred for life.
Anyway — here’s what I did with the butternut bacon risotto I made a few weeks ago. I’m in love.
Last year I made goat cheese and roasted garlic arancini, and I’ve been craving them ever since. I still remember the first time I tasted homemade arancini — it was pure heaven.
Yes, this butternut recipe might have felt more seasonal in October or before Thanksgiving, but it’s still November, and we’re heading into the best time of year for appetizers. It’s the season for sharing delicious bites with friends and family (and for pretending the treadmill doesn’t exist).
If you happen to have leftover risotto — which may be unlikely, but possible — you definitely won’t mind if you stuff it with cheese, coat it in breadcrumbs, and give it a quick fry.
Look at that cheese pull!
Bacon Butternut Arancini with Pumpkin Seed Pesto Dip
20
balls (about)
2 hrs
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Ingredients
- 2 cups cooled butternut bacon risotto
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 8 ounces fontina cheese, cut into cubes
- 1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
- a pinch of salt and pepper
- 2 cups seasoned bread crumbs
- vegetable oil for frying
Pumpkin Seed Pesto Dip
- 2/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 3 tablespoons pumpkin seed pesto
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- pinch of salt and pepper
Instructions
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Note: to cool the risotto quickly, spread it out on a baking sheet to cool and dry slightly, or store overnight in the fridge. Both methods work well.
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In a large bowl, stir together the cooled rice, egg, parmesan, salt, pepper and about 1/2 cup of the breadcrumbs. Using your hands, form 1-inch balls. Press a cube or two of fontina into the center of each ball and seal it. Roll each ball in the remaining breadcrumbs and place on a baking sheet. Freeze the sheet for 30 minutes.
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While the balls freeze, heat 1–2 inches of oil in a large pot to 325–350°F. Fry 2–3 balls at a time until golden on all sides, about 3–4 minutes per side. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining balls.
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Serve immediately with extra grated parmesan and the pumpkin seed pesto dip.
Pumpkin Seed Pesto Dip
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Whisk all dip ingredients together until smooth.
Appetizer
American
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Tastes like my dreams.