Italian Rice Ball Casserole
This Italian rice ball casserole is an easier and healthier version of the classic Italian rice ball! SO flavorful. It's perfect for a Sunday night family dinner!
Ingredients
- 2 cups long grain white rice, uncooked I used jasmine rice
- 1¾ tsps salt
- 1 lb. sweet Italian sausage - turkey OR chicken, casing removed I used turkey sausage
- 1 lb. lean, ground turkey OR chicken I used ground chicken
- 1/4 cup white onion, minced
- black pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
- 2 cups tomato sauce I used canned tomato sauce
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg white
- 1/2 cup grated romano cheese
- cooking spray
- 4 tbsp Italian seasoned bread crumbs, divided
- 1¼ cups shredded mozzerella, part skim
- fresh parsley or basil, optional
Instructions
- Cook your rice with 1 teaspoon of salt, according to package directions. Set aside to cool.
- Saute sausage meat. Cook until brown, making sure to break up into pieces with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Add ground chicken or turkey and minced onion. Cook until browned, breaking up as it cooks.
- Season meat with 3/4 teaspoon of salt and black pepper to taste. Add peas and 1 cup of sauce. Simmer on low, covered for 20 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 400°.
- In a large bowl, combine cooked rice, romano cheese, egg, egg white, and 1/2 cup of sauce. Mix until well combined.
- Spray a 9x13 casserole dish with cooking spray. Spray bottom and sides.
- Add 2 tbsps of bread crumbs to sprayed dish, and roll around to coat the bottom and sides with breadcrumbs.
- Take half of rice mixture and cover the bottom of dish and a little up the sides. Wet hands (to prevent rice from sticking) and press rice into bottom and up sides of dish.
- Fill with the meat mixture.
- Top with 3/4 cups of mozzarella cheese.
- Top with the rest of the rice and press until even.
- Top with remaining sauce, remaining 2 tbsps breadcrumbs, and remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella.
- Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Garnish with basil or parsley if desired.
- Enjoy!