These fried mac and cheese balls are crispy on the outside but filled with creamy mac
and cheese on the inside.
I think they’re a great way to use up leftover mac and cheese or completely worth it to make
from scratch.
Welcome to recipes by Carina where I share with you how to make classic and simply delicious
recipes, make sure to subscribe for a new video each week.
The first thing you’re going to need to make these fried mac and cheese balls is of
course mac and cheese.
Like I said this is a great way to use up leftovers or if you don’t have any it’s
easy enough to make a batch especially for this recipe.
I have a video for how to make mac and cheese which I will have linked as well as the full
recipe listed in the description box below.
If you really want to you can make some box stuff but I really don’t think the taste
or texture even compares to homemade.
It’s best to leave the mac and cheese in the fridge overnight as this allows the cheese
sauce to set up so you can actually work with it rather than it turning into a sloppy mess.
When it’s set use a knife and start to cut the mac and cheese into squares.
I’m going for about 5cm or 2 inch pieces which will be a little bigger than bite sized
but you can cut them smaller if you would like.
If you would like the full recipe for these fried mac and cheese balls it will be on my
website as well as the full measurements listed in the description box below.
Let me know in the comments if you’re going to try out this recipe and what your favourite
dipping sauce would be.
I’m thinking something spicy but something sweet or tomatoey would also work just as
well.
Once you have sliced the mac and cheese get your oil on to the heat.
I’m using a large heavy based casserole dish here as it will hold the oil at a steady
temperature but you can also use a large saucepan or a deep fryer if you have one.
You’ll need a few litres of oil or just enough so the mac and cheese can just about
be submerged.
Make sure to use a flavourless oil here, one thats best for frying like canola, sunflower
or vegetable.
Heat it up to about 180 celsius or 350 Fahrenheit.
It’s best to use a thermometer to check this, they’re not too expensive to pick
up if you don’t have one and I find it so useful for so many different things.
While the oil is heating up start to shape your mac and cheese, pressing it together.
It’s pretty important to not skip this step as we’re compressing it to make sure it
all sticks into a ball and doesn’t fall apart during the crumbing stage.
You can keep it in a square shape, roll it more into a ball or just round off the edges
like I’m doing here.
From the mac and cheese I had leftover I’m getting about 9 portions.
I had probably used about a third and had two thirds left so if you are using the whole
mac and cheese recipe you should have about 14 - 15 depending on the size you’re making.
This as well is just a simple mac and cheese recipe so you can pair them with a punch of
different dipping sauces or they’re still delicious on their own.
It’s also easy to add a little bit more flavour either to the mac and cheese recipe
or while you’re rolling them out.
A few favourites would be bacon pieces, jalapeños for a little spice or seasonings like cajon
for a different flavour.
When you’ve finished rolling them, set them to the side while we get together the crumbing
ingredients.
You’ll need a couple of shallow bowls, one for egg and one for breadcrumbs.
Usually when you’re crumbing you would need one for flour too but the egg actually sticks
pretty well to the mac and cheese so there isn’t really any need.
In one bowl crack in a couple of eggs.
There isn’t really specific measurements here, more ingredients that you’ll need
and you may end up needing more depending on how much you are crumbing.
Use a fork to whisk together the eggs until you’ve combined the yolks and whites.
Try to use shallow bowls here rather than standard as they work so much better for crumbing.
You have room to easily turn the mac and cheese balls over as well as being able to scoop
breadcrumbs up and over them.
You’ll need about a cup of breadcrumbs, pour it into the second bowl.
I’m going for panco as I find they’re crisper and have a better texture but you
can use standard bread crumbs or a mix of the two if you prefer.
Start by taking your mac and cheese ball and dipping it in the egg.
Turn it around, making sure all sides are covered.
Drain the egg off as much as possible before placing it in the bowl with the breadcrumbs.
Turn and cover it, pressing the breadcrumbs in so they stick well.
We’re going with two coats here, it helps to enclose the mac and cheese so you don’t
have any cheese leak out while it’s cooking while also giving it a thicker crumb coat
which makes it crunchier and of course more delicious.
Continue with the remaining until you’ve coated all of your mac and cheese balls.
You may need some extra bread crumbs or egg here depending on how many your making and
how big they are.
Check your oil, making use its around 180 or 350 degrees.
I like to test one first, making sure the temp and timing are right but you should be
able to cook about 5 or so at once depending on the size of your pan so it doesn’t drop
the oil temperature too much.
Drop the mac and cheese ball into the oil using a slotted spoon and leave it to cook
for about 3-4 minutes or until it’s golden brown on the outside.
I like to turn it around a few times just to make sure all sides are getting evenly
coloured.
Make sure to drain them well on paper towels before serving.
I like to sprinkle with some flaky salt and serve with a range of dipping sauces.
They’re such a delicious snack and a great dish to share around.
I hope you try out this recipe!
Thank you for watching, and I will see you in my next video.