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Posted by Janette Staub on , last updated
How do you make any food better?!….fry it!!!….at least that’s what I say! It also helps that I already have a deep fryer so it only makes sense to fry whatever you can! I first fell in love with these delicious devils at the Cheesecake Factory! I couldn’t replicate their amazingness but these weren’t bad at all! If I make them again, I would add more flavoring to the macaroni noodles themselves, just more salt and pepper and definitely a little more cheese! You can never have too much cheese 😉
(This recipe made about 15 medium-sized balls)
Fried Mac and Cheese Balls Recipe
Mac & cheese shaped into balls, then breaded and deep fried.
salt and pepper(I don’t think I put enough in so be generous)
Another ½ cup all-purpose flour
1teaspoonsalt
½teaspoonground black pepper
1teaspooncayenne pepper
½teaspoonpaprika
½teaspoonsugar
2eggs
3tablespoonsmilk
1box Panko bread crumbs
Peanut oil(or canola. Whatever you have available)
Instructions
Put your bacon in the oven at 425 degrees and cook for about 15min (You don't want the bacon all the way cooked because it'll cook more when you put it in the fryer!). Let cool and then cut into little pieces and set aside.
Cook the macaroni according to the instructions on the box. Also set aside for the moment.
In a saucepan, melt your butter.
Once the butter is melted, mix in the flour making sure there are no lumps.
Add the milk (Make sure not to wait too long, or else that butter might burn!) and cook on medium heat for about 4 minutes until the sauce thickens.
Remove the sauce from the heat and mix in all the cheese.
Immediately fold in cooked macaroni and bacon, and season with salt and pepper.
Chill in the refrigerator for two hours.
Now shape the cold macaroni and cheese into balls. These weren't as big as Cheesecake Factory's cheese balls, just a little smaller, but not bite sized. You can make them any size you want though!
Place the formed balls into the freezer for an hour or so.
Take them out of the freezer and compress them into even tighter balls and put them back in the freezer for another 45 min or so.
Set up three bowls.In the first bowl, combine the flour, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, paprika, and sugar.In the second bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk.In the third bowl, put in a pile of Panko.
Heat up your oil in your deep fryer (I use this one) or large, deep skillet.
Roll each ball in the flour mixture, then the egg mixture, and finally the Panko.
Drop each ball in the fryer until lightly golden brown.
Remove balls from fryer and let dry on a paper towel to drain off excess oil.
Serve immediately!
Nutrition
Calories: 420kcal (21%)
***I think all fried macaroni and cheese balls should have some sort of sauce going on. Here’s a recipe for a Spicy Pimento Sauce I found on someoneleftthecakeoutintherain.wordpress.com. (I also used this recipes flour and spices mixture to roll my macaroni balls in before frying). I could only find a 7 ounce container of pimento cheese though and I added a little more Sriracha to give it more of a kick!
Spicy Pimento Sauce
Ingredients:
¼ cup butter
1 cup heavy cream
1 clove garlic, minced
1 ½ cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
7 ounce pimento cheese spread
2 1/2 teaspoons Sriracha
Directions:
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium low heat.
Add the heavy cream and let simmer for 5 min.
Then whisk in garlic, parmesan, pimento spread, and Sriracha.
Pour over your fried macaroni and cheese balls and never look back!
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Reply
Hannahsays
I’m a huge fan of Cheesecake factory’s fried mac and cheese and was so stoked to try this. So good! Will definitely be making again.
A lot of things are fried between 325-400 degrees F. The sweet spot for fried mac is between 350-375. If it's too low, your crust won't seal quickly enough and your balls may fall apart. If it's too hot, you run the risk of having a cold center (remember, they're sort of frozen when they go in).
One way to avoid curdled mac and cheese sauce is by tempering, or combining two ingredients with different temperatures and slowly bringing them to the same temperature, so there is no shock or coagulation.
When making cheese balls, not all cheeses are created equal. It's best to skip those very firm cheeses that require grating, like Parmesan, or others with dry, crumbly texture, like cotija. Because of their texture, these types of cheese don't blend as well to yield a smooth cheese ball.
What Is the Best Cheese for Mac and Cheese? Sharp cheddar is the overwhelming popular choice, but for extra-creamy results, we think medium cheddar is even better. Other delicious options include Gruyère, smoked Gouda, and Monterey Jack.
Water actually works perfectly well as a milk substitute in mac and cheese. It adds all the liquid you need, though it doesn't have the creaminess or flavor that other substitutes add. However, if you add a little pasta water, instead of plain tap water, to your cheese sauce, you might get better results.
(You can thank whole milk, a pound of cheese, and an egg for that texture.) But the secret to baked mac and cheese is this crispy top, which hides a creamy, soft bottom. That extra layer of cheese helps hold in the moisture when it bakes in the oven. Just be sure not to bake it too long so the macaroni doesn't dry out!
Cooking macaroni in a small volume of water concentrates the starch from the pasta, helping the cheese form a creamy emulsion. Similar recipes call for cooking pasta in milk, which can scorch. Cooking in water and adding evaporated milk toward the end fixes this problem.
Add a splash of the sauce's base liquid – if it's a milk-based sauce, for example, pour in a few teaspoons of cold milk. You may also add a splash of wine, beer or cream. Whisk the sauce vigorously for about 10 seconds; this may be enough to repair a cheese sauce that's just beginning to curdle.
Pour about a tablespoon of milk per cup of mac and cheese into the dish and mix well. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and place it in the oven for about 20 minutes, or until it's heated through.
As the mac and cheese sits in the fridge, it can lose some of its creaminess, and you have to be careful that you don't overheat the sauce, which will cause it to separate and leave behind an oily, grainy texture.
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