Bacon & Mushroom Risotto Bites (gluten free, dairy free)

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!

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!

Bacon & Mushroom Risotto Bites 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

Instructions

STEP ONE: 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!

STEP TWO: Bake bacon at 350°F for about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

STEP THREE: 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.

STEP FOUR: 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.

STEP FIVE: 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.

STEP SIX: 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.

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

Pin this Bacon & Mushroom Risotto recipe on Pinterest:

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Minute® Rice.

Last updated on July 9th, 2017 at 04:08 pm

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