Kittencal's Ground Beef And Feta Rice Balls

Total Time: 39 mins Preparation Time: 35 mins Cook Time: 4 mins

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb ground beef (or use spicy or mild italian sausages with casings removed)
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped (garlic-lovers use more)
• 3 cups cooked rice, firmly packed when measuring
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 2/3 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley (can use 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley)
• 1/3 cup coarsely crumbled feta cheese (can use more)
• 1/2-1 teaspoon garlic powder (optional add in for more garlic flavor)
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 1 egg (may need another egg)
• 1 cup dry breadcrumbs
• oil, for deep-frying

Recipe

• 1 in a skillet cook the ground beef with onion and garlic until browned; drain fat then transfer to a large bowl, cool slightly.
• 2 add in the rice with the next 6 ingredients; using hands mix to combine, then season with salt and pepper and some garlic powder if desired for more garlic flavor.
• 3 chill the mixture for at least 2 hours or overnight.
• 4 shape into about 1-1/2-inch balls.
• 5 in a small bowl lightly beat the remaining egg.
• 6 place the dry breadcrumbs into another bowl.
• 7 dip each rice ball into the egg then coat in the breadcrumb mixture (i would suggest to coat all the balls and place on a plate before starting to fry them).
• 8 when you have all the balls on the plate flatten down slightly with the palm of your hand this will allow for a quicker and more even browning.
• 9 heat oil in a skillet or a deep-fryer to 375 degrees.
• 10 fry the balls until golden brown (about 3-4 minutes).
• 11 serve with hot marinara sauce.