Fried Macaroni and Cheese Bites Recipe (2024)

Posted: · Updated: · By Chrysa

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Gooey and cheesy on the inside and crispy and crunchy on the outside, this Fried Macaroni and Cheese Bites Recipe is perfect as a party appetizer or a game day snack.

Fried Macaroni and Cheese Bites Recipe (2)

This family favorite can be made in a skillet, deep fryer or air fryer.

I usually don’t 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.

Fried Macaroni and Cheese Bites Recipe (3)

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 they’re dipped into a sauce.

That can be almost ANY type of sauce – from ketchup, to mustard, to ranch, to barbecue sauce, salsa – even guacamole!

I’m 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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To fry the Mac and Cheese bites you can use an ordinary skillet filled 1/2″ to 3/4″ deep or you can choose to use an electric deep fryer. The main benefit of a deep fryer is that it offers uniform high heat throughout cooking. You’ll also get a super crispy and crunchy coating.

Fried Macaroni and Cheese Bites Recipe (6)Ninja Air FryerFried Macaroni and Cheese Bites Recipe (7)

Air Fryer Appetizer:

If you want to decrease the amount of oil, you can also make this as an air fryer appetizer.

For air fryer mac and cheese bites, follow all the directions below, except when it comes to cooking them, brush with oil and cook in a single layer in your air fryer at 400 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes.

(You might want to make just one or two for the first batch and adjust the cooking time and temperature to best work in your model of air fryer.)

Making Fried Mac & Cheese Bites with Boxed Macaroni and Cheese:

Our recipe includes making your own mac and cheese from scratch, but you can make the bites using a boxed mac and cheese.

We recommend using the deluxe mac and cheese that comes with a package of cheese sauce (not powder). This will give you a more creamy bite.

I also recommend adding in up to an additional 1/3 cup of shredded cheese to make it even cheesier.

Fried Macaroni and Cheese Bites Recipe (9)

Fried Macaroni and Cheese Bites

INGREDIENTS
1 lb Macaroni
2 (8 oz) Packages of Sharp Cheddar Cheese Chunk
1 1/4 cup Milk
1/2 cup Flour
1/4 cup Butter
2 Eggs
3 cup Seasoned Bread Crumbs
Salt & Pepper to taste
Vegetable Oil (for frying)

How to make fried mac and cheese bites

Boil the macaroni until tender. Then drain and set aside.

Shred your cheese and set aside – you’ll be using it to make your sauce.

In a large pan, melt butter over medium heat.

Add flour and mix until light brown color (make a roux).

Add 1 cup milk and whisk until thick.

Add cheese one handfull at a time.

Mix until cheese is all melted and smooth.

Add cooked macaroni to pan and mix until well coated.

Add salt and pepper.

Transfer to a container that will fit in your refrigerator, and refrigerate for at least one 1 hour or until cold.

Line a baking sheet with wax or parchment paper.

Form cold macaroni and cheese into 1″ balls and place on prepared pan.

Place in freezer for 1 hour.

Beat eggs and add 1/4 cup milk in a bowl to make egg wash.

Dip balls into egg wash then roll in bread crumbs to coat completely.

Heat oil in deep fryer to 320 or fill skillet 1/2-3/4″ deep and heat over medium high to 320.

Fry for about 3-4 minutes and drain.

Be sure to pin this recipe on Pinterest or save it to your Facebook wall so you can find it later!!

Fried Macaroni and Cheese Bites Recipe (16)

Fried Macaroni and Cheese Bites

Chrysa

Gooey and cheesy on the inside and crispy and crunchy on the outside, this Fried Macaroni and Cheese Bites Recipe is perfect as a party appetizer or a game day snack.

4.87 from 66 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 35 minutes mins

Cook Time 4 minutes mins

Cooling Time 2 hours hrs

Total Time 2 hours hrs 39 minutes mins

Course Appetizers

Cuisine American

Servings 24 Balls

Calories 109 kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 lb Macaroni
  • 2 8 oz Packages of Sharp Cheddar Cheese Chunk
  • 1 1/4 cup Milk
  • 1/2 cup Flour
  • 1/4 cup Butter
  • 2 Eggs
  • 3 cup Seasoned Bread Crumbs
  • Salt & Pepper to taste
  • Vegetable Oil for frying

Instructions

  • Boil macaroni until tender, drain and set aside.

  • Shred your cheese and set aside.

  • In a large pan, melt butter over medium heat.

  • Add flour and mix until light brown color (make a roux).

  • Add 1 cup milk and whisk until thick.

  • Add cheese one handfull at a time.

  • Mix until cheese is all melted and smooth.

  • Add cooked macaroni to pan and mix until well coated.

  • Add salt and pepper.

  • Transfer to container that will fit in your refrigerator, and refrigerate for 1 hour or until cold.

  • Line a baking sheet with wax or parchment paper.

  • Form cold macaroni and cheese into 1" balls and place on prepared pan.

  • Place in freezer for 1 hour.

  • Beat eggs and add 1/4 cup milk in a bowl to make egg wash.

  • Dip balls into egg wash then roll in bread crumbs to coat completely.

  • Heat oil in deep fryer to 320 or fill skillet 1/2-3/4" deep and heat over medium high to 320.

  • Fry for about 3-4 minutes and drain.

Nutrition

Serving: 1BallCalories: 109kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 4gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 18mgSodium: 199mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1g

I am not a nutritionist. These values were calculated automatically with the Spoonacular Food API.

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Fried Macaroni and Cheese Bites Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why are my mac and cheese balls falling apart? ›

How do I keep my mac and cheese balls from falling apart? The addition of egg and flour is key here—they act as a sealant around the outside of the mac and cheese. You'll also want to make sure you're chilling your mac and cheese for a long enough period of time, at least 3 hours.

What are mac and cheese bites made of? ›

A great appetizer or game-day snack to munch on, these deep-fried bites are so easy to make. Macaroni and cheese is simply formed into balls, dipped in dry breadcrumbs, then coated in an egg and milk mixture and rolled again into the breadcrumbs for a second coating.

How does Paula Deen make mac and cheese? ›

directions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Lightly butter an 8x12" baking dish.
  3. In a pot of boiling salted water, cook the macaroni until al dente. ...
  4. Add two cups of the cheese and toss until melted.
  5. In another bowl, whisk the eggs with the sour cream.
  6. Add the milk, butter, and 1/2 teaspoons salt.

How do you keep cheese from curdling in mac and cheese? ›

I'll spare you any more science-y talk, but the main culprits in curdled or split mac and cheese are too much heat and what kind of cheese you use. When you toss a bunch of cheese all at once into a béchamel mixture (milk-cream-roux) that's too hot (I like to keep the temp between 140 and 180°F) the sauce will split.

Why is my homemade mac and cheese so thick? ›

Remember that the noodles for macaroni and cheese are not entirely cooked when they hit the baking dish, so they will continue to cook and absorb sauce while baking. Plus, the starch from the pasta will thicken the sauce as it bakes too, so you need to initially make the sauce looser than your final desired viscosity.

What are Wisconsin cheese bites made of? ›

What's a Wisconsin Cheese Curd? Cheese Curds are snackable, bite-sized chunks of unaged cheese, breaded and deep-fried for a warm buttery crunch.

What is in McDonald's cheese bite? ›

Mozzarella Cheese Core (58%) (Mozzarella Cheese (MILK) (78%), Water, Potato Starch, MILK Protein, Gelling Agent (Methyl Cellulose), MILK Fat, Salt, Acidity Regulator (Lactic Acid), Flavouring (contains MILK)), Water, WHEAT Flour (contains Calcium Carbonate, Niacin, Iron, Thiamin), Breadcrumbs (9%) (WHEAT Flour ( ...

What are the 3 best cheeses for mac and cheese? ›

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.

What makes mac and cheese taste so good? ›

Great mac n' cheese needs one or more cheeses that melt well, and one or more cheeses that bring the flavor. The best melters include monterey jack, fontina, baby swiss, asiago, provolone, mozzarella, and alpine-style. Cheeses for flavor: cheddar, havarti, smoked gouda, gorgonzola, feta and any other of your favorites.

What's in Bob Evans mac and cheese? ›

Cooked Enriched Pasta (Water, Elbow Macaroni [Semolina (Wheat), Niacin, Iron (Ferrous Sulfate), Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid]), Milk, Water, Pasteurized Process Cheese Spread (American Cheese [Pasteurized Milk, Cheese Culture, Salt, Enzymes], Water, Whey, Sodium Phosphate, Contains Less than 2% of ...

Can I use sour cream instead of milk for mac and cheese? ›

Sour Cream

There are a couple of reasons this is such a good substitute. For one thing, since sour cream is thicker than regular milk, it doesn't thin out the cheese sauce as much. That means that you can add more sour cream and still get a creamy finish.

Why is my homemade mac and cheese not creamy? ›

Cook your noodles in milk instead of water

Cooking your noodles in milk instead of water makes your resulting mac and cheese creamier. According to The Kitchn, cooking your noodles in milk instead of water makes the sauce creamy before you even add the cheese sauce.

What does milk do to mac and cheese? ›

The use of milk makes the pasta itself creamier, and reserving it keeps any starch washed off the pasta in the milk, which is then used to make the sauce. Some milk is absorbed into the pasta as it cooks, but you need to reserve enough to make your sauce.

Why is my cheese separating in my mac and cheese? ›

To achieve a velvety, hom*ogenous cheese sauce, you must slowly heat our cheese. The curdles in a cheese sauce come as a result of overheating the proteins in the cheese, which causes them to separate from the fat and water content, per The Washington Post.

Why is my cheese ball crumbly? ›

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.

Why are my mac and cheese noodles falling apart? ›

Overcooking the pasta

The noodles become soft and fall apart easily. Soggy pasta is exactly what you want to avoid, especially in mac and cheese — too soft, and you'll be eating cheese sludge with a spoon. Instead, for a hefty cheese sauce, you'll want your noodles cooked al dente.

Why is my mac and cheese crumbly? ›

A: "Your ratios—from your roux to the fat content in the cheeses that you're using—may be a little off," Rach says. "You also just may be overcooking it." Rach breaks down how she makes what John calls "a pretty dang good mac and cheese" in more detail. "What we want to do is start with the roux.

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