Salsa Verde Spinach & Corn Rice Poppers |Appetizer

This post sponsored by Sam’s Fresh Salsa, however all comments, content and enthusiasm remain my own!

I could make a meal out of appetizers, couldn’t you?! Especially munching on these Salsa Verde Spinach & Corn Rice Poppers – they are super satisfying and the perfect prelude to a summery southwestern meal or hearty snack to pair with happy hour drinks on the patio.

Delicious baked rice balls loaded with cheese and veggies are perfect for dunking in mild salsa verde! The secret to maximum flavor is also using the salsa as part of the cooking liquid in the rice! Surprising low cal and lower carb -- 56 calories and 6g carbs per piece. An appetizer and snack that makes everyone happy!

These little two-bite nibbles are basically rice balls loaded with veggies and cheese (win-win), with even more winning from the secret ingredient – Sam’s Fresh Salsa Verde.

Delicious baked rice balls loaded with cheese and veggies are perfect for dunking in mild salsa verde! The secret to maximum flavor is also using the salsa as part of the cooking liquid in the rice! Surprising low cal and lower carb -- 56 calories and 6g carbs per piece. An appetizer and snack that makes everyone happy! For more easy recipes and inspo to fuel an active lifestyle, visit thefitfork.com
Pin this for later!

Not only are the spinach and corn poppers paired with Sam’s Fresh Salsa Verde for dipping, the foundational ingredient – rice – is prepped using Salsa Verde as part of the cooking liquid! It’s a flavor hack you’ll want to replicate time and time again, not just with these rice balls, but any night you are making a rice side dish! Rice becomes tender and ready for consumption as it absorbs boiling liquid. Water is standard (and oh-so-boring), but rice prepared in salsa as the cooking liquid is just simply amazing and so easy (swap up to half the water for salsa) – there’s no need to add garlic, spices and this and that – all those flavor boosts are already in the salsa!

Rice hack! The secret to maximum flavor is also using the salsa as part of the cooking liquid in the rice!
Flavor boost! Sam’s Fresh Salsa Verde is used as part of the cooking liquid for the rice!

After the “next level” salsa verde rice has been prepped, it’s just a matter of quickly sautéing spinach and corn and mixing together with the rice along with a mixture of queso fresco and mozzarella for double cheesy goodness!  I use a silicone cookie scoop (or spoon) to made generous tablespoon-sized balls of the mixture and then bake for 30 minutes!

corn and spinach for rice poppers -- veggies always a great addition to any appetizer.
Get some veggie goodness in this delicious appetizer recipe!

By the way, as decadent as this rice appetizer sounds, loaded with rice and cheese, each popper is very reasonable – each with 56 calories, 2.2g fat, 6.3g net carb, and 2.6g protein.

Delicious baked rice balls loaded with cheese and veggies are perfect for dunking in mild salsa verde! The secret to maximum flavor is also using the salsa as part of the cooking liquid in the rice! Surprising low cal and lower carb -- 56 calories and 6g carbs per piece. An appetizer and snack that makes everyone happy!
We piled up our poppers and Sam’s salsa in taco boats to take on the patio!

Of course, these rice ball poppers are best served with a side of this salsa verde for dunking. The fresh green salsa has that tangy, limey taste that pairs so well with the tomatillos and lots of garlic – yum! I really appreciate these new salsas from Sam’s Fresh Salsas, they are completely farm fresh with a clean label – no preservatives, nothing artificial. In addition to the Salsa Verde, there is a Cantina Medium Salsa and Watermelon Jicama Salsa. you can purchase Sam’s Fresh Salsa at: ShopRite, Acme, and Safeway or ask your store to stock it!

Sam's Fresh Salsa Verde perfect for all your southwestern-inspired recipes
I love Salsa Verde because it’s tangy and loaded with garlic and mild tomatillos — not too spicy!

You can also learn more about Sam’s Fresh Salsa at SamsSalsa.com on Facebook and Instagram!

Salsa Verde Spinach & Corn Rice Poppers
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
50 mins
rice cooling
10 mins
Total Time
1 hr
 

Delicious baked rice balls loaded with cheese and veggies are perfect for dunking in mild salsa verde! The secret to maximum flavor is also using the salsa as part of the cooking liquid in the rice! Surprising low cal and lower carb — 56 calories and 6g carbs per piece. An appetizer and snack that makes everyone happy!

Course: Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine: Southwestern
Keyword: corn, mexican food, nibbles, rice, salsa, spinach
Servings: 24 balls
Calories: 56 kcal
Ingredients
  • 2/3 cup uncooked white or brown rice
  • 1 cup water
  • 2/3 cup verde salsa highly suggest Sam’s Fresh Salsa
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 cup frozen corn kernels thawed
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh spinach
  • ¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • ½ cup crumbled queso fresco
  • 2 large eggs whisked
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
  1. Add rice, water and salsa to medium pot and bring to boil. Once boiling, reduce to simmer and add lid. Cook rice according to time on package instructions, or until liquid has been absorbed. Remove lid and set aside to cool to room temperature. To speed process, you can pour rice out on baking sheet and stick in refrigerator for 15 minutes.
  2. Preheat oven to 350F when rice almost done cooling.
  3. Meanwhile, add olive oil to skillet and sauté spinach and corn for approximately 3 minutes until warmed and wilted. Remove from heat.
  4. Add cooled rice to large bowl along with spinach-corn mixture. Stir together. Next stir in egg and cheeses and season with salt and pepper.
  5. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking sheet.
  6. Use a tablespoon (I found a little cookie scooper works well) to create approximate generous 1 tablespoon-sized balls. Set balls on baking sheet.
  7. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until cheese bubbling and turning lightly golden brown on tops.
  8. Remove from oven and serve warm with additional salsa verde.
Recipe Notes

Fiesta Mexican Roasted Corn Salad

Fiesta Roasted Corn Salad is a south-of-the-border inspired side dish for summer cookouts and family gatherings. Not only is this Mexican corn salad colorful, but is extra delicious with a creamy homemade dressing that always conjures up memories of nibbling on smoky-sweet elotes (Mexican street corn), sitting on a curb, with sauce smeared on my chin, sweat dripping down my back and concerned only with the detail of finishing my snack! Fiesta Roasted Corn Salad - Mexican-inspired side dish

Eating roasted corn on the cob can awkward though (well, for me anyway) and a little harder to make for a crowd (you need a lot of grill room).  Because I wanted to make corn to share at a big event, prepping it as a salad was the perfect option and easily scalable to fit the number of guests I’m expecting, from just 5 and my normal dinner table to 50 or more.  Read on to get my personal take on a traditional esquites salad  . . . as they call a similar dish in Mexico. Continue reading

Lightened-up Cornbread Panzanella Salad with Greek Yogurt Ranch

Panzanella, a classic Italian salad made with greens and crusty bread, benefit from a hearty (but still healthy) down-south makeover with loads of lettuce, my clean-eats cornbread croutons (with healthier sugar and fat substitutes), small splurge of bacon crumbles and fresh home-style ranch dressing made with Greek yogurt. These southern-inspired swaps have been my little secret to getting teen boys to wolf down first and second servings of salad.

Bacon Cornbread Panzanella Salad

Y’all, I do declare, this Lightened-up Cornbread Panzanella Salad with Greek Yogurt Ranch is a winner for lunch and dinner. You can even pair it up with grilled chicken or hard-boiled eggs if you’d like a little extra protein. Continue reading

Brisket, Corn & Kale Salad with Low-fat Creamy Texas Dressing (+ Other Leftover Beef Recipes)

Mmmmm, so I made a beef brisket this weekend. I used to be afraid of cooking large hunks of meat, but now I say “bring it on” – plus, the center cut of brisket is a lean cut, so no worries there! One of the biggest perks, aside from gobbling up slices of meaty heaven straight off the grill, is having leftovers! I’ve shared recipes I’ve prepared with leftover brisket in the past (hit the bottom of this post for links), and today I have a brand new salad to add to the collection! Brisket Corn and Kale Salad

You will love the smoky sweet satisfaction that my Brisket Kale and Corn Salad with Low-Fat Creamy Texas Dressing offers. Also, since kale is really only one of the salad greens holds up (if not gets better) to prepping ahead, this beef salad is also perfect for packing in a jar for lunch as school, work or the gym. Continue reading

Grilled Avocado Tacos with Creamy Jalapeno Greek Yogurt Dressing

I am about to change your life with two simple words that I frequently say separately, but never before together– Grilled Avocados. That’s right, I discovered avocados can and should be grilled! Tossing this creamy green fruit on the grates for a few minutes creates a smoky, simply marvelous flavor profile that plain ole avocados just can’t deliver. Grilled Avocado Tacos

With grilling season firing up and Cinco de May moments away, you’re definitely going to want to toss on a few avocados to go along with your barbecue. Or, if you’re vegetarian, vegan or just taking a plant-based day for variety, you’ll love my recipe for Grilled Avocado Tacos with Creamy Jalapeno Greek Yogurt Dressing

Continue reading