The day after Thanksgiving we attended a birthday party for a friend. As everyone was recounting their Thanksgiving feasts, a friend of mine told me she had made fried mac and cheese bites as an appetizer on Thanksgiving Day. Her sister was also in attendance and they raved about how amazing the mac and cheese bites had been. At the mention of this, I knew I’d have to recreate them for my 25 days of entertaining!
The first time I had fried mac and cheese was at the Cheesecake Factory. They were served with marina sauce for dipping and were fried to perfection. Mac and cheese bites are a fun spin on one of my favorite dishes but it had never occurred to me to make them at home before. It seems like one of those no brainer recipes! Cheese and pasta battered then fried. How could you not love this recipe?
This recipe is so easy and is a great way to use up leftovers. I made a pan of mac and cheese then put it in the refrigerator to cool. The mac and cheese needs a couple of hours to set or you could simply use leftover mac and cheese. Once set simply form the mac and cheese into balls then coat in bread crumbs and fry.
Looking to make your Christmas dinner leftovers more interesting? Try frying mac and cheese. These would be a fun appetizer to share with friends for a New Year’s Eve Party too. We ate them for dinner one night and then served them as a side dish with steaks a couple of nights later. However you decide to serve them, Mac and Cheese bites are a worth indulging in this holiday season!
ingredients
2 c prepared macaroni and cheese
½ c all-purpose flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 c panko bread crumbs
½ c shredded parmesan cheese
1 cup vegetable oil
instructions
- Place flour, eggs and bread crumbs in three separate shallow bowls. Add the Parmesan to the bread crumbs and stir to combine.
- Scoop chilled macaroni and cheese into Tablespoon sized balls.
- Dredge each macaroni and cheese bite lightly in flour, then dip in eggs, then coat with bread crumbs and cheese. Set each bite on a plate to rest while completing the rest of the bites.
- Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the bites in 2 batches, frying bites for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes per side.
- Drain bites on paper towels. Serve immediately with marinara if desired.
I want to try these! Can we have them next time we are in Chicago? Tell me about the plate too:)
Mom