Chicken & Cauliflower Rice Balls
These were much better then I had anticipated they'd be.
We've been working on cutting back on rice, pasta, potatoes and bread. You know, all those tasty ingredients that just add bulk to the butt. I'm always on the hunt for a new recipe I can try on the hubs and maybe tweak it a bit so it's lower in the carbs. This recipe is fairly low but is not Keto. You could change out the bread crumbs for pork rinds and easily make it keto friendly.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. If you're using an air fryer set it to bake 400 degrees
It's a pretty simple recipe that calls for 1 chicken sausage link (casing removed), 2 1/4 cups cauliflower rice, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 Tbsp marinara, 1/2 cup part skim shredded mozzarella, 1 large egg, 1/4 cup bread crumbs and 1 Tbsp Romano or parmesan cheese
I quickly skimmed the directions and ended up getting regular Italian pork sausage, (I really should have looked closer at the recipe) and I omitted the salt because I figure there's enough salt in the other ingredients. Also, because I don't follow directions well, I added more sausage then was called for because HELLO! Still want enough for leftovers.
Note: the Egg, bread crumbs and Romano/Parm cheese will be used to dip the balls in later so just set those aside for now.
Start by cooking up the sausage, chopping it into small pieces while you cool. Add in the cauliflower, salt and marinara and cook for 5-7 minutes stirring until cauliflower is tender but not mushy.
Remove from heat and add in the mozzarella stirring it all in real good. Set aside and let cool enough so you can touch.
This is where you can change it up if you'd like depending on the size of 'meat ball' you want. Spray a 1/4 or 1/2 cup measuring cup with cooking spray (I used 1/4 cup and ended up with 5 'meatballs'). Scoop the mixture with the measuring cup, forming it into a ball, then set on plate or wax paper. Continue until all the mixture is used.
Combine parmesan cheese and bread crumbs (pork rinds if doing keto) into small bowl and add egg and scramble to another bowl. Dip each ball into the egg then into the crumb mixture before adding to baking pan.
Spray the top of the balls with cooking spray and bake in a preheated 425 degree oven for approximately 25 minutes. If you're using the air fryer, bake for 9 minutes turning halfway through.
We added a little marina on the side for dipping.
Add a little side salad and you have a, tasty little meal.
Nutrition information is based on using chicken sausage and having 6 balls with 3 per serving.
Calories 257, Total Fat 11.5 g, Cholesterol 95.5 mg, Sodium 644 mg, Carbs 15.6g, Fiber 3 g, Sugar 2.5 g, Protein 21.5