Why it works: Cheddar cheese and cheese match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 984 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
Easy Rice Balls
Ingredients
Directions
Make the rice balls
Mix the hot rice with cheese, chili powder, and salt until well blended and cheese is melted.
Form into small balls and roll in seasoned crumbs.
Place on greased baking sheet.
Bake and serve
Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes.
Serve warm.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 6 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Rice | 1 cup cooked (158g) white | 206 |
| Cheddar Cheese | 1 oz (28g) | 113 |
| Cheese | 1 oz (28g) cheddar | 113 |
| Chili | 1 tsp (2.7g) | 8 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
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Cheddar cheese + cheesetop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together984 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Bread + cheesetop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,130 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-decalactone (sweet, creamy).
-
Rice + breadtop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,259 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (popcorn, roasted).
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Rice + cheesetop 14% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together942 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
-
Rice + cheddar cheesetop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together511 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Hot cooked rice
- Forms the bulk of each ball and gives a soft, tender interior.
- Sharp cheddar cheese
- Melts into the rice to bind the balls and adds rich flavor and fat.
- Chili powder
- Adds warm, spicy flavor throughout the rice mixture.
- Italian seasoned bread crumbs
- Form a crisp, golden coating that browns in the oven.
The step that matters
Mix the hot rice with the cheese until the cheese melts. Hot rice melts the cheese so it coats the grains and acts as a binder. If the rice cools first, the cheese stays stringy and the balls may crumble when formed.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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