Easy tomato risotto balls with a smoked cheese centre – perfect for Cook with Your Kids Day

I’m really excited because tomorrow (15th October 2016) is International Cook With Your Kids Day! Launched by Uncle Ben’s, it’s a global initiative to get more families preparing meals together.

Research shows that families that cook together and eat together will enjoy significant health benefits as a result*. The simple act of involving children in the cooking process teaches them valuable skills, helps them lead a healthier life, and brings families together.

Uncle Ben’s is committed to helping families cook together because they believe cooking is a life skill that is as essential as reading and writing, and I’m in absolute agreement.

Ben’s Beginners is a global initiative from Uncle Ben’s, aimed at getting kids and families cooking together and having fun while developing a lifelong, good relationship with food. You can learn more about the brilliant Ben’s Beginner’s tool in my previous posts here and here.

To celebrate, JD, Jay and I have developed this really easy, simple recipe for tomato risotto balls (baked arancini) with a smoked cheese centre. They’re great fun to make, with plenty of chances for the kids to get their hands stuck in, and the result is really delicious!

Here’s how to make them.

Ingredients

• 1 pack of Uncle Bens Express Risotto Italian Herb
• 100ml milk
• 25g smoked cheese
• 75g plain flour
• 1 large egg
• 75g panko breadcrumbs
• spray oil

Instructions

Cook the risotto rice according to the pack instructions (make an opening in the pack, add the milk, cook in the microwave for 3 minutes).

Tip into a bowl and allow to cool.

Chop the smoked cheese into 1/2 inch chunks.

Take some rice and roll into a golfball size ball, then flatten in your hand.

Place a small chunk of cheese in the centre of your risotto pattie.

Wrap the rice around the cheese and roll into a ball between your palms so that the cheese is enclosed in the middle.

Now it’s time to crumb. Start by rolling your risotto ball in the flour until it has a thin coating. Shake of the excess.

Dip your risotto ball into the beaten egg and coat. Allow an excess to drip off.

Now roll your risotto gently in the breadcrumbs until evenly coated. Note: you can season the breadcrumbs if you like.

Place on a lined baking tray and repeat until you’ve crumbed all eight.

Spray with a little cooking oil.

Bake for approx 20-25 minutes until pale golden.

Serve warm with salad – the cheese inside will be oozy and delicious.

Here’s an easily printable version of the recipe. If you’d like to, just click PRINT on the recipe card below.

Do you plan to get the kids involved with cooking on International Cook with Your Kids Day? Let me know what you’ve got planned!

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This is a commissioned post for Uncle Ben’s Beginners. *Research reference