Sicilian Rice Ball Casserole

By á-3948

This was easy to make and the boys love rice so it was a hit with them! (I'm NOT a big pea person and I even liked it).

Ingredients

• 2 cups uncooked long grain rice
• 4 cups water
• 1 (2.5 oz) sweet Italian sausage link, casing removed
• 10 oz (.65 lbs) 93% lean ground turkey (1/2 package)
• 1/4 cup onion, minced
• salt and fresh pepper
• 5 oz frozen peas
• 16 oz homemade tomato sauce
• 1/3 cup egg beaters or egg whites
• 1/2 cup pecorino romano
• cooking spray
• 4 tbsp seasoned breadcrumbs, divided
• 1 1/4 cup shredded part skim mozzarella
• I only used Ground Turkey ****

Preparation

Step 1

Cook rice in water according to package directions. Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, sauté sausage meat; cook until brown breaking up into pieces with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Add turkey and onions and cook until browned, breaking up as it cooks. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then add peas and 8 oz tomato sauce and simmer on low, covered, about 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400°. In a large bowl combine rice, pecorino romano, eggs, and 3-4 oz tomato sauce and mix well. Rice should be a bit sticky.

Spray a 9 x 12 casserole dish with cooking spray, making sure to spray sides too. Add 2 tbsp breadcrumbs to the dish and roll around to coat the bottom and sides.

Take half of the rice mixture (a little more if needed) and cover the bottom of the dish and up the sides; press to form the bottom layer. Add the meat and peas

Sprinkle mozzarella on top. Top with remaining rice and press until even. Top with remaining 4 oz of sauce, remaining 2 tbsp breadcrumbs, and remaining mozzarella.

Cover with foil and bake 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake 10 more minutes. Cut into 8 pieces

** I cooked my rice in my rice cooker, then just mixed all the ingredients together and put them in the dish**