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Cheesy Tuna & Brown Rice Balls 🐟🍚🧀
Tender tuna and brown rice balls made with cottage cheese and Parmesan, then lightly coated in breadcrumbs and baked. A savory lunch or dinner for babies and toddlers.
Keep the center moist, tender and easy to break apart. For younger babies, lightly flatten the ball or break it into soft manageable pieces before serving.
Ingredients
Rice Ball Mixture
- 6.5 oz canned tuna, drained 185g canned tuna, drained
- 1½ cups cooked brown rice 250g cooked brown rice
- 1 cup cottage cheese 250g cottage cheese
- ¼ cup Parmesan 25g Parmesan
- 2 tbsp chives 2 tbsp chives
Coating
- ¼ cup Parmesan 25g Parmesan
- 1 cup breadcrumbs 100g breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp olive oil 30ml olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) and line a baking tray.
- Drain the canned tuna.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the tuna, cooked brown rice, cottage cheese, chives and the first ¼ cup (25g) Parmesan.
- Mix until the ingredients are well combined. A wooden spoon or clean hands may be used.
- In a separate dish, combine the second ¼ cup (25g) Parmesan, breadcrumbs and olive oil.
- Mix until the breadcrumbs are evenly coated with the olive oil.
- Dampen clean hands to help prevent sticking, then shape the rice mixture into 16 balls.
- Roll each ball in the breadcrumb-Parmesan coating.
- Arrange on the lined baking tray.
- Bake for 15–20 minutes until cooked, golden and holding their shape.
- Allow to cool to a safe temperature before serving.
Baby Serving Guide
9 months+: Keep the center moist and tender and avoid overbaking the coating until very hard or dry.
Do not offer a whole golf-ball-sized rice ball to a younger baby.
Lightly flatten the ball or break it into soft, manageable pieces depending on baby's feeding skills.
Before serving, check that the center and coating can be easily broken apart between your fingers.
Make sure the rice is fully cooked and tender, and check the tuna carefully for any bones.
Baby-Friendly Tips
- Texture: Avoid an excessively crunchy, dark or hard coating for younger babies.
- Rice: Freshly cooked rice may be softer and stickier than precooked rice.
- Tuna: Check carefully for any bones before mixing.
- Fish: Tuna is a common food allergen.
- Dairy: Cottage cheese and Parmesan contain milk, a common food allergen.
- Wheat: Traditional breadcrumbs contain wheat. Gluten-free breadcrumbs may be used instead.
- Sodium: Tuna, cottage cheese, Parmesan and breadcrumbs can all contribute sodium. Lower-sodium options may be chosen when available.
- Always serve baby seated upright and under close adult supervision.
Recipe Tips
- The source uses tuna canned in oil.
- Cooked white rice may be used instead of brown rice.
- Sushi rice also works well and may make the mixture easier to shape.
- Ricotta may be used instead of cottage cheese.
- Gluten-free breadcrumbs may replace regular breadcrumbs.
- Air fryer option: Cook at 400°F (200°C) for 10–15 minutes, until golden and holding their shape. For younger babies, avoid allowing the coating to become excessively hard.
Storage
- Fridge: Store leftover rice balls in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
