How To Make Fried Macaroni And Cheese Balls
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Everybody loves macaroni and cheese, and it makes a tasty snack or a yummy meal any time of the day. As delicious as macaroni and cheese is already, you can make it an even more decadent treat by forming the pasta into balls, coating it with bread crumbs, and frying them to make deep fried macaroni and cheese balls. These make for an exciting appetizer, a great snack, and they’re perfect at parties.
Fried Mac And Cheese Bites
Ive tested my easy bacon mac and cheese recipe a lot, trying to make sure that its JUST perfect. But after doing three or four tests batches, it means I have a LOT of mac and cheese leftover! And though I love cheese as much as the next guy , theres only so much mac and cheese one can eat. So thats when I figured Id repurpose it and make it into fried mac and cheese bites!
Fried mac and cheese balls are great for a party or as a way to use up leftover mac and cheese. I also love the ratio of the crunchy outside to creamy inside.
How Do I Reheat Fried Mac And Cheese Balls
The best way to reheat them is to place them on a foil linedbaking sheet and heat them up in an oven or toaster oven. Place them in a 350°Fheated oven for 5 to 7 minutes or until they are heated thoroughly. You caneven reheat the mac and cheese balls directly from the freezer this way,without thawing them! Just increase the heat time to 10 to 15 minutes.
Also Check: Is Kraft Mac And Cheese Vegetarian
Tips And Alternate Cooking Methods
- How to freeze: Arrange uncooked, assembled mac and cheese balls in single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet. Freeze for 1 hour, then transfer to an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. You can deep fry directly from frozen.
- How to air fry mac and cheese balls: Assemble the balls as directed in the recipe, then spray lightly with cooking spray oil. Place the balls in an even layer in an air fryer basket . Air fry at 350 F for 15 minutes until crispy.
- How to bake in the oven: Assemble the balls as directed in the recipe, and place on a half sheet baking pan lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Bake in a 350 F preheated oven for 20-30 minutes, until crispy on the outside. Rotate them every 5-10 minutes to ensure even cooking.
How Many Calories Are In A Mac And Cheese Ball
If you are eating these, it doesnt matter. Calories eaten with friends dont really count, do they?
Freaky Friday is a quarterly blog hop, started and coordinated by Michaela at An Affair From the Heart. The event is where a group of bloggers are randomly assigned another blog, you make one of their recipes , and share it with your readers.
Some of my past Freaky Friday recipes include this indulgent Creamy Corn Dip, these Bacon Wrapped Shrimp, and these Spicy Taco Tater Tots.
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This round I got my friend Brandis Blog Aunt Bees Recipes. I was so excited because I havent had her yet and have been itching to make something of hers! Ive known Brandi from the interweb for a while now and I look forward to her comforting recipes every week.
A self taught cook, Brandi loves collecting cookbooks and enjoys feeding her BUSY and HUNGRY family. Her dishes are easy and always a hit.
She has the best dips like this Southwest Bean Dip and her Chicken Fajita Sliders are always gobbled up quickly.
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Ingredients In Mac And Cheese Balls
These fried bite-sized appys only require:
- macaroni and cheeseâ cold mac and cheese that has been refrigerated for at least 4 hours. This is a great way to use up and leftover stovetop mac and cheese with white cheddar or baked mac and cheese.
- eggâto bind the breadcrumbs onto the balls.
- panko breadcrumbsâ to coat the mac and cheese balls. I prefer the texture of panko breadcrumbs, but you can use regular breadcrumbs as well.
- vegetable oilâ for deep frying.
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Which Cheeses Are In Mac And Cheese Bites
This recipe for mac and cheese bites calls for white Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses, but other cheese combos like mozzarella and Parmesan, or pimento cheese and white Cheddar would also work. Swap in whichever cheese combos you prefer.
Though hard, melting cheeses work well for the ooey-gooey texture you want out of this recipe.
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What Mac And Cheese To Use
This recipe works with pretty much any mac and cheese recipe you like! I love to make homemade mac and cheese , but boxed mac and cheese will work as well if youre shorter on time!
You can even mix it up with additional fillings. Try adding bacon, hot sausage, shredded chicken, or even swirl in some veggies
Fried Macaroni And Cheese Bites Recipe
This Fried Macaroni and Cheese Bites Recipe is perfect as a party appetizer or a game day snack. Itâs gooey and cheesy on the inside and crispy and crunchy on the outside. You can make them in a skillet, deep fryer or air fryer.
I usually donât make fried foods at home, but some things just beg to be fried and this Fried Macaroni and Cheese Bites recipe is one of them!
We all love mac and cheese as it is, but once you add some seasoned breading and make them all crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside YUM!
These little mac and cheese balls make a perfect game day food or party appetizer.
Macaroni and cheese is good in any form, but we especially love it in this party perfect deep fried form.
While I like to eat the fried macaroni and cheese bites AS IS, other family members and party guests have found that they love them when theyâre dipped into a sauce.
That can be almost ANY type of sauce from ketchup, to mustard, to ranch, to barbecue sauce, salsa even guacamole!
Iâm thinking a fun idea for our next party would be to set up a Mac and Cheese Bites Bar complete with a whole array of different sauces so everyone can experiment and find out just what combination they like best.
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How To Make Fried Mac And Cheese Balls
First: In a bowl, combine the leftover cold mac and cheese and the extra cheese. Scoop into 1.5 inch balls and place on a baking sheet with parchment paper. Freeze for 15 minutes.
Second: Beat two eggs in a bowl with a little water. In a separate bowl, add the Panko crumbs. Remove the balls from the freezer, dip the balls into the egg wash, roll in Panko to completely coat, and place back on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining balls.
Third: Return the balls to the freezer while you heat the oil to 375F. When the oil is ready, fry the balls 3 to 4 at a time for 2 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels.
Fourth: Serve warm with your favorite dipping sauce.
For the full recipe and detailed instructions, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
In A Medium Saucepan Melt The Butter Over Medium Heat
How to make kraft mac and cheese more interesting. Personally, the more bacon the better. And now, our believe kraft mac and cheese are trying to shake things up. Start by cooking the macaroni noodles according to the directions on the package.
This is roughly 50% more cheese than the equivalent weight of milk, but hey, i love cheese. Make your sandwich even more luxurious with our own easy rustic bread recipe. Instead of elbows, you got shells.
Start with boxed mac and cheese such as kraft dinner, velveeta shells& cheese, or annies shells & white cheddar. 10 things you didnât know about kraft boxed macaroni and cheese. So, the most basic of basic mac and cheese is usually made from a box.
Drain the noodles and set aside. 1/4 cup all purpose flour. Just like eggs and bacon are breakfast staples, we might soon find kraft mac and cheese in the breakfast aisle.
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded. It was the first pasta product. Kraft foods called it the housewifes best friend.
The classic powdered cheese in a paper pouch improved to a thick, creamy cheese sauce in a foil pouch no butter or milk required. Try making these in the air fryer for a healthier version. 1/4 cup ½ stick margarine or butter.
Im going to do that. Drain the macaroni and put into a bowl with 1 tablespoon of the salted butter, stirring gently to incorporate the butter Then sprinkle a thin layer of bread crumbs on the top of the macaroni.
Easy Macaroni and Cheese made without flour or roux
Pin on Next up
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Take A Look At All Of Our 2020 Freaky Friday Spring Edition Recipes:
Check out all my Dips and Spreads to add to your party menu!
If you love this recipe as much as I do, please write a five-star review in the comment section below , and be sure to help me share on facebook!
These deep fried mac and cheese balls are a great way to use up leftover mac and cheese, if you have any. They are the perfect finger food for game day!
How To Make The Best Fried Mac And Cheese Balls
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Fried Mac N Cheese Bites
I don’t deep fry very often, but every now and again a recipe comes along that makes you just want to heat up a pot of oil.
You can make this recipe in an air fryer or baked in the oven, but I usually just go for it and deep fry them!
They get evenly crispy on the outside, and lovely and creamy soft inside. Bliss!
But don’t worry if you want to make them healthier – you can bake them or cook them in an air fryer too.
Alternative Cooking + Storing
If youd rather not deep fry these, there are other methods for cooking.
- Oven: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 375°F. Place the frozen Mac N Cheese balls onto the pan and bake for 15 min.
- Air Fryer: Preheat the fryer to 360°F. Place frozen Mac N Cheese Balls into the basket of the air fryer and spray with cooking spray. Fry for 8-10 min.
Leftover Mac and Cheese Balls can be STORED in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for 1-2 months. To REHEAT, bake in the oven at 400°F for 5-8 min or until heated through. If frozen, heat for 10-12 minutes.
Seriously?! Look at the cheesy center!! SO GOOD!!! This cheesy, delicious appetizer is definitely a new favorite, and we hope you like them as much as we did.
For more mac and cheese recipes, check out:
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Helpful Tips For Making Mac And Cheese Balls
- I use the recipe for either my double cheddar macaroni and cheese or twisted macaroni and cheese to make this dish.
- The key to making this dish is, the macaroni and cheese needs to be fully baked, cooled and thoroughly chilled. This is necessary for the balls to hold together when frying. Don’t skip it.
- It’s best to use a non-flavored oil to fry these balls. Either vegetable, canola or peanut oil.
- When frying, keep the oil around 350°F. Fry just until the panko breading is crispy and golden.
- There’s no wrong size to make these mac and cheese balls, it all comes down to the size of the scoop that you use. For a bite size appetizer version, roll them meatball size. Snack size, a 2 ounce scoop works well. As a side dish, use a 4 ounce scoop, the most typical size used for scooping ice cream. Just know, when you change the size, the recipe yield could be more or less than stated.
What Is Panko Crumbs
This recipe uses panko bread crumbs. Panko is a Japanesebread crumb that is extra crispy! Its made with white bread and is baked usingan electrical current, then ground into flakes. It doesnt have a lot of flavorbut its light, airy and super crispy and its what gives this recipe a nextlevel crunch over other recipes out there.
You can find panko bread crumbs at well-stocked grocery stores, as well as stores like Trader Joes and online . But you can also use the same amount of regular bread crumbs in place of the panko. Just keep in mind the mac and cheese balls wont be quite as crispy or crunchy as they would be with panko.
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Why You’ll Love This Easy Air Fryer Recipe
Leftover Win Is it me, or do kids never want the same food the second day? Repurpose yesterdays mac n cheese in a fun, fresh way. Undercover Veggies Mac and cheese is a great vehicle for serving kids vegetables. The flavors in the cheese sauce compliment most vegetables, and even mask some It will be easy to deliver a vitamin-packed meal without any complaints.
What Kind Of Bread Crumbs Should I Use
Go ahead and make life easy by using store-bought bread crumbs to make your mac n cheese balls. I used lemon pepper bread crumbs that I picked up at the local market. Some other amaaaaazing options to use include:
- Panko bread crumbs
- Gluten Free breadcrumbs
- Crushed potato chips or tortilla chips
You can also make your own homemade breadcrumb mixture, which is so easy to do! Check out my air fryer chicken tenders recipe for a bread crumb topping recipe that is absolutely delicious!
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Can Mac And Cheese Balls Be Made Ahead Of Time
Kind of! This recipe is a great way to use up leftover mac and cheese, so feel free to prep the pasta ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator for 3-5 days or in the freezer for 1-2 months.
If its frozen, thaw it in the fridge when youre ready to use it, then proceed with the recipe as instructed.
Why Air Fryer Mac & Cheese Bites Work
If you need a treat for your next football party, holiday party or just a plain old Friday night at home, these mac and cheese bites are a winner. Truly, all the taste buds will be happy with this tasty bite.
Ever wonder how the air fryer works? Of Course, I did. So here is a little more information. It does, in fact, use hot air like a table top convection oven.
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Making The Macaroni And Cheese