Nice big tender Italian Meatballs nestled into bed of spaghetti wrapped in a blanket of sauce & cheese.

It’s amazing how one casserole dish can bring a family together.

Do you and your family sit down to dinner on a regular basis? Or are you like us and you treasure those times when you’ve got the whole gang gathered around the table?

I sure do love it!

Today I’m delivering a Spaghetti & Meatball Casserole of Love! One of my dear friends is in the hospital and the best thing I can do for her right now is to help nourish her family. I happen to know spaghetti & meatballs are a favorite in their house :)

The Preparation

This dish begins with the meatballs. I use our nice big Italian Meatballs, you can find the recipe here.

You’ll want to double this recipe, using 2 pounds of ground meat. This will make a beautiful batch of 16-20 meatballs.

Plenty to feed a family of eight!

When I’m delivering a meal to a friend or family at a time of need I try to make it as easy as possible to heat & serve or freeze.

Foil pans are the unsung heroes here. Simply layer the al dente spaghetti, top with cooked meatballs and marinara sauce, add a nice layer of cheese and bake.

For the spaghetti, I actually love to use bucatini fusilli. It’s curly and fun and holds on to the delicious marinara sauce nicely too.

I’ve shared before that there are a few pantry staples that I always keep on hand. The pasta I mentioned above, our favorite Rao’s Sauce, and gluten free panko breadcrumbs. All of which are incorporated into this meal.

I delivered Spaghetti & Meatball Casserole of Love!, a tossed salad and Peanut Butter Cup Brownies to this special family. Love and healing energy included.

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram and Facebook! And check out our latest TikTok videos and Pinterest boards too!

All my best,
xo Libby

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Spaghetti & Meatball Casserole of Love!

Nice big tender Italian Meatballs nestled into bed of spaghetti wrapped in a blanket of sauce & cheese.

Course Entree

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

For the Meatballs

• 2 batches Italian Meatballs see recipe link in post

For the Spaghetti Casserole

• 1 pound spaghetti or favorite pasta cooked al dente
• 24 ounces marinara sauce
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese shredded

Instructions

For the Meatballs

• Brown the meatballs using the Oven Method. Then transfer to sauce and finish cooking in the oven.

For the Spaghetti Casserole

• Preheat oven to 350° F. Prepare pasta al dente according to package instructions. Drain and toss with marinara sauce. Layer in casserole dish with meatballs. Top with shredded mozzarella and grated parmesan cheese. Bake for 20 minutes.

The post Spaghetti & Meatball Casserole of Love! appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Relatively wordless Wednesday Post.  Soooo.

I walk a lot.  It’s my time to silently talk through things and exhale.  My time.  During walking my brain churns which often inspires new recipes.  These Chicken Parmesan Meatball Sliders were the walking brain child inspired by these…

Mini-Fresh Mozzarella Balls.

Don’t let this delicate photo of fresh mozzarella balls fool you.  They came in a giant tub from Costco and found their way into more than one recipe.  Yet at the end of the day aka Labor Day Weekend, the survivors deserved proper recognition.  I don’t know, that’s just the way I think.

I’m walkin’, yes indeed and I’m talkin’
About you and me, I’m hopin’
That you’ll come back to me, yeah-yeah
I’m lonely as I can be, I’m waitin’
For your company, I’m hopin’
That you’ll come back to me

We all have songs that stick in our heads.  This is my get your steps on anthem.

Marinated mozzarella balls stuffed inside perfectly seasoned chicken meatballs, served parmesan slider style with mouthwatering marinara and freshly baked slider buns.

I’m talkin’ party pleaser, family-friendly, game-day changer recipe tonight.

Whoomp. There it is.  So sorry about those lame references.

Kind of. But not really. Let’s just move on.

These Chicken Parmesan Meatball Sliders are everything I’ve mentioned above and more.  Wait, is this a relatively wordless Wednesday post.  damn.  I’ve failed.  Thanks for hanging with me.

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook!

All my best,
xo Libby

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Chicken Parmesan Meatball Sliders

These Chicken Parmesan Meatball Sliders are juicy with just the right amount of seasoning. The melty mozzarella in the middle is a bonus!

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground chicken
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2-3 garlic cloves minced
• 1 tsp. dried basil
• 1 tsp. garlic & herb seasoning
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 8 mini-fresh mozzarella balls about the diameter of a quarter
• 2-3 Tbl. olive oil
• 2 cups marinara sauce
• 8 slider buns
• 1/2 cup shaved parmesan cheese

Instructions

For meatballs…

• Combine egg, bread crumbs and next eight ingredients, through red pepper flakes. Add in ground chicken and gently mix by hand until just combined.
• Form into eight 2-inch diameter meatballs. Press a mozzarella ball into the middle of each meatball and enclose.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Heat a skillet over medium heat and pan-brown meat balls on all sides.
• Pour marinara into 2-quart casserole. Nestle browned meat balls in sauce. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

To serve…

• Split slider buns and toast until golden. Place a chicken parmesan meatball on each bun, dollop with marinara sauce & fresh shaved parmesan.

The post Chicken Parmesan Meatball Sliders appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

But I wanted to add a spooky element to the dish. 

Wait til you see what I did.

Today was our Halloween Luncheon at the office.  It is an annual tradition.  We decorate, dress in costumes, and feast. 

I made a ginormous lasagna and {Shared the Love} with my work-family.  This Classic Lasagna is layered with a rich meaty sauce, plenty of cheese and and lots of love.

Making lasagna is simply a layering process. 

I found it’s best not to be too focused on specifics, just use good ingredients alternately until you build as tall as your pan can stand. 

I will say, you do want to start with a base of sauce and finish with a layer of cheese. 

Oh, and assembly is so much easier when you have all of your ingredients prepared and close at hand.

Assembly

Our Classic Lasagna assembly went something like this:

• Meaty Marinara to cover bottom of lasagna pan
• Layer of lasagna noodles (pre-boiled until al dente)
• Layer of ricotta/egg/parmesan mixture
• Generous sprinkle of shredded mozzarella
• Light layer of béchamel sauce
• Repeat 3-4 more times.
• Finish with shredded mozzarella

The Spooky Effects

While the lasagna baked, I got busy creating my spooky effect. 

I wanted to create the feel of a haunting face rising out of the top of the lasagna.  Hee hee, have I told you how much I love Halloween?!!

I made a double batch of our Italian Meatballs recipe and formed it into Scream’s Ghostface.   Muaaahhhh…..

I baked our giant face-meatball, so that it was fully cooked. 

On it’s own it was pretty spooky, but I had a grand-plan for this guy.

I placed the baked face on top of the baked lasagna, then filled the eyes, nose, and mouth with marinara sauce.  Slightly melted mozzarella cheese to encase the face. 

Then back into the oven to heat through. 

The finished result….

While the ‘raw’ face showed more Scream similarity, this guy delivered enough creepy to be worthy of our annual Halloween Buffet. 

Our Classic Lasagna {with Spooky Effects} was just one of many fabulous dishes shared today.  Two Halloween Buffet tables this year, beautifully decorated by the uber talented Jennica.

As for the costumes.  Always brilliant.  Here are a few standouts and a link to our work Delaney Facebook Page.  We’re a fun group if you’d like to follow along.

Who else loves/hates the movie The Shining.  Gives me shivers.  These two nailed it.  “Come play with us Danny.  Forever….and ever…and ever.”

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook!

And me.  Fun day at the office.

All my best,
xo Libby

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Classic Lasagna

This classic lasagna is layered with rich meaty sauce, loads of cheese, savory sauce and an element of spooky fun!

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 boxes lasagna noodles 20 noodles

For the meaty sauce layer…

• 120 ounces marinara sauce
• 2 lbs. ground beef
• 1 lb. sweet Italian sausage

For the ricotta layer…

• 1 32- ounce tub ricotta cheese
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp. dried basil
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. garlic & herb seasoning

For the Béchamel sauce…

• 5 Tbl. butter
• 4 Tbl. flour
• 4 cups milk
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

Instructions

For the meaty sauce layer…

• Brown ground beef and Italian sausage (casings removed). Drain; combine with marinara sauce.

For noodle layer…

• Cook lasagna noodles according to package instructions.

For ricotta layer…

• Whisk together ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, eggs and seasoning.

For Béchamel layer…

• Heat milk in a saucepan to just boiling. Melt butter in a medium sauce pan. Whisk in flour; cook for 3 minutes. Add hot milk 1 cup at a time, stirring constantly until incorporated. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer for 10 minutes. Season with salt and nutmeg.

To assemble…

• Cover bottom of lasagna pan with sauce; then lasagna noodles. Spread ricotta layer; sprinkled with mozzarella cheese and ladle or two of béchamel sauce. Repeat 3-4 more times. Top with mozzarella.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake lasagna for 1 -1 1/2 hours until hot & bubbly. May need to tent loosely with foil if cheese begins to brown. Allow to stand 30 minutes before serving.

For spooky face layer….

• See our Italian Meatball post and get your creative happy on.

The post Classic Lasagna {with a Spooky Effect} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

The ingredients are layered lasagna style and every bite delivers wonderful flavor.

There are three kinds of cheese in this recipe which adds layers of flavor.

Fresh Tomato Marinara Sauce and Basil Pesto add richness.

Combined, it’s those ingredients that make this lightened up recipe all kinds of comfortable.

If this recipe looks good, you might also enjoy our Cacio e Pepe Spaghetti Squash served in a Parmesan Crisp Bowl!

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram and Facebook! And check out our latest TikTok videos and Pinterest boards too!

All my best,
xo Libby

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Spaghetti {Squash} Pie with Basil Pesto Chicken

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 1 medium spaghetti squash
• 1 Tbl. olive oil
• 2 Tbl. butter
• salt & pepper
• 8 ounces ricotta cheese
• 4 ounces Parmesan cheese shredded
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. garlic & herb seasoning
• 2 cups marinara sauce
• 2 cups cooked chicken cubed
• 1/2 cup basil pesto
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Cut spaghetti squash in half length-wise. Scoop out seeds. Rub flesh with olive oil and place flesh side down on a shallow baking sheet. Bake for 40-50 minutes until a fork pierces the skin easily and the flesh can be easily pulled into strands with a fork. Allow to cool slightly, then using a fork scrape squash into a bowl. Season with butter, salt & pepper.
• In a small bowl combine ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, egg and garlic & herb seasoning.
• In a small bowl combine cooked chicken cubes with pesto sauce.
• In a 2 quart casserole or baking dish, layer ingredients lasagna style. Cover bottom of pan with 1/2 cup marinara sauce. Top with 1/4 of the spaghetti squash. Top that with half of the ricotta mixture and a sprinkle of mozzarella. Top with 1/2 cup marinara sauce, 1/4 spaghetti squash, 1/2 pesto chicken, sprinkle of mozzarella cheese. Repeat with marinara, squash, ricotta, mozzarella, marinara, squash, pesto chicken, mozzarella.
• Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes. Allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving to allow the juices to soak up.

The post Spaghetti Squash Pie with Basil Pesto Chicken appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

I needed a great HOT Dip recipe.

So off to Pinterest Wonderland I went.  Whoa.  The choices are vast, diverse, and oh so cheesy.  Hot Pizza Dip sounded too good to pass up.

There’s the seasoned cheese layer, your favorite marinara sauce, favorite toppings, then more cheese.  Off to the oven we go.  Ezzy-pizzy.

Once Hot Pizza Dip was on my radar I began building the layers in my mind.  The first layer has cream cheese, ricotta cheese, shredded mozzarella, parmesan cheese, and garlic powder.

Then a layer of your favorite sauce.  We used our Fresh Tomato Marinara Sauce.  Slightly chunky, hints of fresh basil and garlic.  Oh so delicious.  Add your favorite pizza toppings, we chose mini-pepperoni slices this time.  Sausage and mushrooms will find their way into my next Hot Pizza Dip.

Load your Hot Pizza Dip with cheese, cheese, baby…and a bit more topping.  Pop it in the oven, deliver to your favorite people.

Win.  Big Win.

Twisted Parmesan Herb Breadsticks.  Here’s how that happened:

I used a tube of seamless crescent dough, but you could use puff pastry or your favorite pizza dough.

Roll out the dough.  Sprinkle it with minced fresh herbs (I chose rosemary), seasoning (I used Mrs. Dash garlic & herb and salt & fresh cracked pepper).  Add cheese (parmesan for us).  Cut into strips.  Twist and bake.

Rustic.  Tasty.  And oh so Hot Pizza Dip worthy.

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Hot Pizza Dip {with Twisted Parmesan Herb Breadsticks}

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

Layer One…

• 4 ounces cream cheese softened
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
• 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp. garlic powder

Layer Two…

• 1 cup Marinara Sauce

Layer Three

• 1/2 cup favorite pizza topping ingredients we chose mini-pepperoni slices
• 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella

For the breadsticks…

• 1 can seamless crescent dough puff pastry or pizza dough
• 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 2 Tbl. chopped favorite herbs we chose rosemary
• 1 tsp. Mrs. Dash garlic & herb seasoning or favorite
• salt & freshly cracked pepper

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

For the Hot Pizza Dip…

• Combine Layer One ingredients in an oven safe dish. Top with Marinara. Layer with pizza ingredients and cheese.
• Bake for 20- 25 minutes until hot and bubbly.

For the breadsticks….

• Preheat oven to 375 degree. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Spread the canned dough into a rectangle. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, fresh herbs, salt & pepper. Press into dough. Cut into 12 strips and twist. Lay on prepared baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes.

The post Hot Pizza Dip {with Twisted Parmesan Herb Breadsticks} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

The pictures don’t do this recipe justice, but I am here to tell you that Italian Sausage & Polenta Lasagna is pure comfort.  Surprisingly, that comfort is delivered without a guilt trip.  That’s right, this recipe came straight out of the new Weight Watchers cook book AND it’s made in the slow cooker.  Badda bing.  Badda boom.

The star ingredient in this recipe is a tube of polenta.  Not only does it replace traditional lasagna noodles, making this a gluten free recipe, but it also adds a wonderful creaminess to the overall dish.

I made a couple modifications to the original recipe.  First, I replaced Sweet Italian Sausage with Jennie-O Hot Italian Turkey Sausage.  They’re not spicy hot, but they do bring a bit of flavor punch.  Then I substituted chopped frozen spinach for frozen kale, only because I couldn’t find kale in my grocer’s freezer.  I also increased the amount of parmesan & mozzarella cheese.  Well because cheese.

The original recipe was for 6 servings at 8 WW Pts+ per.  We easily got 8 servings, so even with my additions, each serving weighed in at only 8 WW Pts+ or 320 calories.

Once the sausage and mushrooms are pan browned, all the ingredients are layered lasagna style in your slow cooker.  Marinara sauce, sliced polenta, mushrooms, sausage, spinach, zucchini, ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese and seasonings; repeat.  Cover and cook on LOW for 5-6 hours or on HIGH for 2-3 hours.  Once hot and bubbly, turn off slow cooker, top lasagna with mozzarella cheese and allow to rest covered for 20 minutes.

I’m really loving this new Weight Watchers cook book.  So much so I’ve basically kidnapped it.  You see it belongs to my Healthy Choices buddy DJ.  We’ve sort of worked out a deal.  If I can hang onto it for a bit longer I promised to bring her samples of anything I make.  I think it’s working out well for both of us :)

Today I hauled the whole crockpot to work to Share the Love.  Everyone who sampled, loved this recipe.  They couldn’t believe that Italian Sausage & Polenta Lasagna was figure friendly as well.  That’s what bold flavors and creamy comfort can do for a dish.

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Italian Sausage & Polenta Lasagna

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 6 hours hours

Total Time 6 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Author lightly adapted from Weight Watchers

Ingredients

• 1 lb. Jennie-O Hot Italian Turkey Sausage
• 8 ounces fresh mushrooms sliced
• 1 one-pound tube polenta cut into 18 slices
• 1 zucchini thinly sliced
• 1 10- ounce box frozen spinach thawed & squeezed dry
• 1 tsp. Mrs. Dash garlic & herb seasoning
• 1 tsp. dried basil
• 1 24- ounce jar favorite marinara sauce
• 1 cup part skim ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese

Instructions

• Remove sausage from casings and brown in skillet, breaking up with wooden spoon until cooked through. Remove from pan and pour off any grease. Brown mushrooms in skillet coated with cooking spray.
• Spray slow cooker with cooking spray. Add 1/2 cup sauce to bottom of slow cooker. Layer 6 slices of polenta. Top with half of the sausage and half of the mushrooms. Add half of the zucchini slices and half of the spinach. Spread 1/2 cup of ricotta over top (I used a teaspoon to drop ricotta). Sprinkle 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese, Mrs. Dash and basil. Spread 1 cup of sauce over layers.
• Add 6 more slices of polenta, then top with remaining sausage, mushrooms, zucchini, spinach, ricotta and parmesan cheese. Spread 1 cup of sauce over layers. Add remaining 6 slices of polenta and top with remaining sauce.
• Cook on LOW for 5-6 hours or on HIGH for 2-3 hours. Lasagna will be hot and bubbly. Turn off slow cooker. Spread mozzarella cheese on top. Cover and allow to rest for 20 minutes before serving.

The post Italian Sausage & Polenta Lasagna appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Do you ever get stuck in a pasta rut? Or better yet a ‘what’s for dinner’ rut?  We have become such fans of Spaghetti & Meatballs that we have it almost weekly.  No complaints, but I was ready for a change.  Enter cream and vodka.  Voila Penne with Vodka Sauce {penne alla vodka}.

This past summer weather was ideal for growing tomatoes and as a bonus the season spanned several months.  Each week the Farmers Market was lined with table after table of this gorgeous fruit.  I’ve shared before that I have a huge soft spot for local farmers and buy something from each of them, every week.  Which is precisely how we have ended up with a freezer full of Homemade Marinara Sauce.

This is a good time to talk about Mother Sauces.  I learned years ago that there are five classic Mother Sauces from which most all secondary sauces are derived.  At that pre-Lemony Thyme period I was certain I would never become a foodie geek….but I listened.  I’ve come to understand that there is something to be said for understanding Mother Sauces.  Here’s an article I found helpful and informative on this topic.

While Penne with Vodka Sauce has a wonderful rich flavor, one serving comes in under 400 calories.  Making this 15-minute dish the perfect weeknight meal.

Vodka Sauce, might be one of the simplest variations of Mother Sauce #5 ~ Tomato Sauce, coming together in mere minutes.  Which is precisely why Penne with Vodka Sauce is being added to our easy weeknight meal rotation.

Begin with your favorite marinara sauce, add vodka and simmer 5-7 minutes (cooking off the alcohol).  The vodka gives the sauce a nice crisp flavor, a bit hard to explain but really nice.  Stir in heavy cream and a pinch of red pepper flakes, toss with cooked penne pasta, sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan cheese and fresh basil.  Such a rich, yet fresh flavored dish.

Recipe Note:  We’ve found that when making Healthy Choices it’s best to only prepare the number of portions = to the number of people you’re serving.  May seem like common sense but we’ve been guilty in the past of cooking the entire box of pasta vs. weighing out two ounce portions.  Serve Penne with Vodka Sauce with a tossed salad and you’ll find one portion is plenty.

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Penne with Vodka Sauce

While Penne with Vodka Sauce has a wonderful rich flavor, one serving comes in under 400 calories. Making this 15-minute dish the perfect weeknight meal.

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 1 lb. penne pasta
• 4 cups Marinara Sauce see recipe link in post
• 1/2 cup vodka
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• pinch red pepper flakes
• freshly grated parmesan cheese
• fresh basil

Instructions

• Cook penne according to package instructions.
• Heat marinara sauce over medium heat. Remove from heat and stir in vodka. Return to a low simmer and cook for 5-7 minutes. Stir in heavy cream and red pepper flakes and heat through.
• To serve, toss penne in vodka sauce. Sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan cheese and fresh basil.

The post Penne with Vodka Sauce {penne alla vodka} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Arancini {with Basil Pesto & Marinara Sauce}

I was the girl who grew up eating my spaghetti with butter and parmesan cheese.  No red sauce for this kid.  I even scraped the sauce off pizza before eating it.  

Over time I fell in love with Alfredo Sauce but still avoided tomato based sauces for the most part.  It was all about white sauce in our home, with lasagna and occasionally meatballs being an exception.  This all changed on Christmas Day.

Our annual family Christmas dinner has evolved over the years into a vast array of appetizers and heavy hors d’oeuvres.  Each family brings a couple different dishes to share. 

This past Christmas I made Arancini, deep fried mozzarella stuffed risotto balls served with homemade basil pesto and store bought marinara sauce. 

We’ll get back to the marinara sauce in a minute. 

The risotto balls were a hit, definitely a recipe worth sharing.  Yet with the hustle and bustle of the holidays no pictures were taken until now.

THE Marinara Sauce

When the party was over nearly a full jar of marinara sauce remained in our refrigerator.  I decided to make those occasional Italian Meatballs and serve them with the marinara sauce. 

Rao’s Marinara Sauce.  

Oh my word. 

Rrrrao. 

No, no…really, unless you’ve had Rao’s you won’t appreciate when I say, it changed our lives.  

Little did I know when I selected it off the super market shelf that this sauce had achieved award winning status.  We are full-in believers now.  Rrrrrao. 

If you want to hear your family roar like tigers you’ll want to pick up a jar.  Spaghetti & Meatballs with Rao’s Marinara have become a weekly staple for us.  We are working on our own copycat version of Rao’s but for now I’m keeping an eye on the sale flyers and stocking up.

The Arancini

So now back to what you came for.  Arancini begins with a Basic Risotto Recipe that is then chilled for about an hour.  A beaten egg and fresh basil are stirred in before forming the risotto into 1 1/2-inch balls.  A cube of mozzarella cheese is inserted into the center of each ball which is then sealed around it.

The cheese stuffed rice balls are then breaded.  Each ball is dipped into flour, then beaten egg, then dry Italian bread crumbs; coating well.

Working in small batches, the Arancini are fried in oil until nicely browned on all sides.  The outside will become crispy while the cheese center is nice and gooey.  Serve the Arancini with Basil Pesto & Marinara Sauce, for twice the dipping pleasure.

Arancini {with Basil Pesto & Marinara Sauce} is a fabulous appetizer that can be prepared at home, just allow yourself enough time to prepare the basic risotto recipe first, including time to chill it.  Your family and guests will love and appreciate this classic Italian dish.

All my best,
xo Libby

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Arancini {with Basil Pesto & Marinara Sauce}

Prep Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 hours hours

Servings 8

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• Basic Risotto Recipe recipe link in post
• 3 eggs
• 2 Tbl. fresh basil chopped
• 1/2 cup mozzarella cubed
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 cup dry Italian bread crumbs
• Peanut oil for deep-frying
• Basil pesto
• Marinara sauce

Instructions

• Prepare Basic Risotto Recipe according to instructions. Chill for 1 hour. Stir in 1 beaten egg and fresh basil. Form into 1 1/2-inch diameter balls. Press mozzarella cube into the center of each ball and seal by rolling into a smooth ball.
• Set up three bowls for the breading. One for flour, one for two beaten eggs, one for the Italian bread crumbs. Dip each risotto ball into flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs; coating each one well.
• Heat 2 inches of oil in a large saucepan until a deep-fry thermometer reads 370 degrees. Fry the balls in small batches until they are well browned on all sides. Drain on paper towels. Serve warm with basil pesto and warm marinara sauce. Yield = 16 Arancini

The post Arancini {with Basil Pesto & Marinara Sauce} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.