With these Bacon Mushroom Risotto Bites you’ll be the star of the game — game day party that is! We’ve teamed up with Minute® Rice to bring you this delicious and nutritious recipe that will be a touchdown with your guests!
Gluten Free Bacon Mushroom Risotto Bites
These Bacon & Mushroom Risotto Bites are the perfect party snack or tailgate appetizer because they’re bite-size and easy to eat (think mess-free)!
They’re also nutritious (shhh…we won’t tell!) because they’re packed with protein, good fats, and are gluten and dairy free.
Read on for the recipe, plus a few other game day party pointers I learned at the Minute Rice® blogger recipe share!
Love Bacon? Try this Candied Bacon Aioli as the perfect dipping partner for our risotto balls!
Bacon & Mushroom Risotto Balls Ingredients
- 1 box Minute® Brown Rice
- 10 oz mushrooms, chopped
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 lb bacon
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 2 1/2 cups coconut milk
- 1 cup parmesan “veggie” cheese
- 1 cup cheddar “veggie” cheese
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 2 cups gluten free Panko crumbs
Makes 2-3 dozen.
A free printable copy of this recipe is available at the bottom of the post. Keep reading for step-by-step instructions and cooking tips or click here to jump to printable recipe.
How to Make Bacon Mushroom Risotto Balls
Prepare Minute® Brown Rice according to directions on package, substituting 2 cups chicken broth for 2 of the required cups of water. Add 1 tsp garlic powder and 1 tsp Italian seasoning to rice while cooking.
We love Minute 100% Whole Grain Brown Rice because it adds a rich, nutty flavor and it is ready in 10 minutes — 1/4 the cooking time of regular brown rice!
Bake bacon at 350°F for about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
In a separate medium saucepan, combine mushrooms, 1 cup coconut milk, and 1 cup chicken broth. Simmer for 15-20 minutes until liquid is reduced to half its original volume.
Chop bacon and add to a large mixing bowl with cooked rice, mushrooms with their cooking liquid, and cheese. Mix by hand until well combined. Refrigerate for 2 hours to cool.
Once mixture is chilled, form into 1-inch balls. Prepare two small bowls for breading: one bowl with water (or coconut milk) and one bowl with dry Panko crumbs. Prepare a deep fry pan with 2 cups cooking oil over medium heat.
Dip risotto balls into bowl of water, then roll in bowl of Panko crumbs to coat the surface. Fry balls until golden brown on each side, then remove from oil and place on paper towels or a cooling rack to dry.
Cooking & Prep Tips:
Minute Brown Rice is gluten free, MSG-free, preservative free and non-GMO — it’s one of our pantry staples! It has the same nutritional value as conventionally-prepared brown rice, but is such a time-saver. Grab a couple boxes to have on hand for the holidays or unexpected dinner guests!
You’re welcome to substitute regular Panko bread crumbs and/or regular cheese if you don’t need the recipe to be gluten free and/or dairy free.
Serve with ranch dressing or your favorite sauce for dipping.
I brought this recipe to a game day recipe tasting party with other Houston food bloggers and there were almost no leftovers! While I was there, I picked up some fun decorating ideas like these “referee” water bottles:
Check out these other tasty tailgate recipes featuring Minute Rice:
- Easy Layered Bean Dip from The Simple Parent
- Greek Multigrain Medley Salad from Freebies 4 Mom
- 25-Minute Sausage and Rice from Simply Being Mommy
- Baja Shrimp Stacks from The Soccer Mom Blog
Grab a Free Printable Copy of Our Dairy Free Bacon & Mushroom Risotto Bites:
With these Bacon & Mushroom Risotto Bites you'll be the star of the game day party! A mouth-watering appetizer that's actually gluten free and dairy free too!
- 1 box Minute® Brown Rice
- 10 ounces mushrooms chopped
- 1 onion diced
- 1 pound bacon
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 2 1/2 cups coconut milk
- 1 cup parmesan "veggie" cheese
- 1 cup cheddar "veggie" cheese
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 cups gluten free Panko crumbs
Prepare Minute® Brown Rice according to directions on package, substituting 2 cups chicken broth for 2 of the required cups of water. Add 1 tsp garlic powder and 1 tsp Italian seasoning to rice.
Bake bacon at 350°F for about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
In a separate medium saucepan, combine mushrooms, 1 cup coconut milk, and 1 cup chicken broth. Simmer for 15-20 minutes until liquid is reduced to half its original volume.
Chop bacon and add to a large mixing bowl with cooked rice, mushrooms with their cooking liquid, and cheese. Mix by hand until well combined. Refrigerate for 2 hours to cool.
Once mixture is chilled, form into 1-inch balls. Prepare two small bowls for breading: one bowl with water (or coconut milk) and one bowl with dry Panko crumbs. Prepare a deep fry pan with 2 cups cooking oil over medium heat.
Dip risotto balls into bowl of water, then roll in bowl of Panko crumbs to coat the surface. Fry balls until golden brown on each side, then remove from oil and place on paper towels or a cooling rack to dry.
Note: Nutrition information is a rough estimate only; actual values will vary based on the exact ingredients used and amount of recipe prepared.
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Minute® Rice.
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Deanna says
Can these be baked instead of fried? Can the cheese be omitted? My daughter-in-law is dairy-free but doesn’t like vegan cheese. Thank you.
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom says
Hi Deanna, yes they can be baked. They texture may be slightly different, but they should still taste fantastic. If you omit the veggie cheese, you might try adding an extra egg as a binder. Hope this helps!