Crispy on the outside with a cheesy center, fried mac and cheese is made with creamy mac and cheese fried with a flavorful breadcrumb coating for the ultimate appetizer!
These mac and cheese balls are one of my favorite appetizers to order at Cheesecake Factory! We also love to make this copycat chicken madeira, from there, too!
Fried Mac and Cheese Balls
I didn’t think I could love macaroni and cheese any more than I already do until I tried this fried mac and cheese. It’s true anything tastes great fried, just try my favorite fish and chips recipe or fried zucchini!
I blame a couple of my girlfriends for this fried macaroni cheese recipe! After a visit with them Cheesecake Factory I was introduced to something amazing – these fried mac and cheese balls. Pretty much life changing!
This is one of those recipes that I always feel should be started with a disclaimer: “I can not be held responsible for excessive calorie intake!” But boy, is it delicious. Perfectly crispy and cheesy fried macaroni balls with a flavorful breadcrumb topping. Definitely 100% worth the indulge!
How to Make Fried Mac and Cheese
- Cook noodles. Cook the macaroni noodles according to directions on package. Drain, rinse with cold water and set aside.
- Sauce. In a pan over medium-heat melt butter. Whisk in flour and cook for about 2 minutes. Add in warmed milk, whisk until there aren’t any lumps then cook until the sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat and stir in cheese until melted and smooth. Add noodles and stir to combine then pour mixture into a shallow pan and refrigerate for 2 hours, so that it sets up enough to form into balls.
- Form. Use your cookie dough scoop to form the macaroni mixture inot balls and then place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and freeze (overnight is good). You want them nice and frozen.
- Coat. In a shallow bowl, whisk together 1 egg and 1 Tablespoon of milk. Mix breadcrumbs and seasoning together and place in a shallow bowl. Dip the macaroni balls into egg wash and then cover with bread crumbs mixture.
- Fry. Heat oil in a large pot to 350°F and fry the mac and cheese bites until they are golden brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Turn them halfway to evenly brown. Remove and set on baking sheet lined with paper towels. Enjoy while warm!
TIP: You could also use leftovers of my Panera mac and cheese recipe, baked macaroni and cheese or creamy slow cooker mac and cheese!
Cooking Tips
- Breadcrumbs. If you don’t have Panko or regular breadcrumbs in the pantry, make your own homemade breadcrumbs with any leftover bread you have laying around.
- Seasonings. Feel free to mix in some additional seasonings like garlic powder, onion powder or some paprika.
- Use fresh grated cheese. Grate your own cheese instead of using the pre-shredded bags (which have additives that don’t melt as well). This will give you the perfect gooey cheese that’s perfectly melted.
- Chill the macaroni. This step is the key to success. Once you make the macaroni, it needs to chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours. This makes it easier to form into balls. You’ll also need to freeze the macaroni balls overnight before coating/frying. You want them nice and firm.
- Make sure oil isn’t too hot. Be sure your oil isn’t too hot so they don’t cook too fast. You want them to heat through so you don’t end up with frozen macaroni in the middle.
Favorite Dipping Sauces
Marinara is my absolute favorite, but any of the below taste delicious:
- Marinara sauce
- Ketchup
- Buffalo sauce
- Ranch
- Fry sauce
More Recipes to Try
HUNGRY FOR MORE? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all the newest recipes!
Fried Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- ½ pound elbow macaroni
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 cup milk , warmed plus 1 Tablespoon
- ½ pound cheddar cheese
- ½ pound smoked gouda
- 1 egg
- 1 ½ cups breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper to taste
Optional: Marinara sauce for dipping
Instructions
- Cook noodles. Cook 1/2 pound of macaroni according to directions. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
- Make roux. In a pan, melt 1 Tablespoon butter over medium-heat and sprinkle in 1 Tablespoon flour. Whisk together. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Add milk. Add in 1 cup warmed milk and stir to get rid of lumps. Cook until sauce thickens, about 2 minutes.
- Stir in cheese. Remove from heat and add in 1/2 pound cheddar cheese and 1/2 pound smoked gouda cheese then stir until melted and smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Pour cheese over macaroni and stir to combine.
- Chill. Pour into a shallow pan and refrigerate for 2 hours.
- Form into mac and cheese balls then freeze. Form macaroni and cheese into balls using a cookie or ice cream scoop. Place on a wax paper lined cookie sheet and freeze overnight, or until cold and firm.
- Make breading. Mix together 1 egg and 1 Tablespoon milk to make a wash in a shallow bowl. Mix 1 1/2 cup breadcrumbs and 1 teaspoon seasoning together and place in a shallow bowl. Dip macaroni and cheese balls into egg wash and then cover with breadcrumb mixture.
- Deep fry. Heat oil in a large pot to 350°F and fry macaroni and cheese balls until they are golden brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Turn them halfway to evenly brown.
- Drain and enjoy. Remove and set on baking sheet lined with paper towels. Enjoy while warm with marinara!
Notes
- Be sure your oil isn’t too hot so they don’t cook too fast. You want them to heat through so you don’t end up with frozen mac & cheese in the middle!
- Extras can be stored in the freezer.
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Adapted from Food Network.
FAQs
Yes, the mac & cheese balls won’t be as crispy but you certainly can. Bake mac and cheese balls from frozen on a parchment lined baking sheet at 375°F for about 15 minutes.
Yes, again they won’t be deep fried but it is a nice cooking alternative! Preheat the air fryer to 360°F then air fry from frozen for about 8-10 minutes.
Store leftover mac and cheese balls in the refrigerator in an airtight container up to 3 days. You can also keep them in the freezer for up to 2 months, then just bake from frozen.
I wouldn’t recommend microwaving them as they will get soggy but you can reheat them in the oven at 400°F until warmed through or in the air fryer at 350°F for 5 minutes.
Categorized as: American, Appetizers, Freezer-Friendly, Kid-Friendly, Mini appetizers, Stovetop, Super Bowl
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
This is such a cool recipe. Totally for my son. He will love this! I just saved it and will give it a try. Thanks for the idea!
This was so good. My kids loved it!
These were a huge hit at our house! Great recipe!
Oh boy this looks incredibly delicious, my kiddos would love this for school lunch or after school. Yummy!
To store in the freezer would I cook them first and than store in freezer?
Hi Sarah! I would freeze at step 6 and when you are ready to eat them, continue on from step 7. :)
Had these at Slater’s 50/50 in San Diego…. SOOOOOOOO YUMMY!!!
I’m going to be trying this soon!
My husband and I love the fried Mac & Cheese bites from the California Pizza Kitchen, so finding this recipe is awesome! My only question, is if we wanted to bake instead of fry would it change the recipe at all? I’m a new wife and cook, so I’m not familiar with frying just yet.
Invest in a Fry baby (or daddy) depending on how much you plan on frying. I can’t stand to stove top fry – it just scares me – but I LOVE my fry baby…. :-)
I’ve never heard of a Fry baby before, thanks for introducing me to it! I’ll have to check it out.
We had fried mac n cheese balls at a place in Las Vegas and they were SO, SO yummy! (especially with a tall chocolate shake to add some sweet to all that salty). I might have to get tricky and give these a try to see if I can recapture that deliciousness here in Colorado.
Oh these look dangerous! And delicious :)
Oh my goodness! What’s next??! lol I can imagine the kids going crazy over this stuff, though. :-)