There are few things I love more than mac n cheese. I mean good, homemade, cheesy, saucy enough to still be creamy when baked, toasted bread crumbs…. Get in my belly.
Don’t give me that Kraft Mac n Cheese. I want this flavorful, garlicky, herbaceous kind anyday. Pretty much everyday.
So get this: you make that mac n cheese. (You know, the really creamy kind.)
Then you put it in time out in the fridge (probably for being TOO delicious).
You roll it into balls around a tiny little piece of cheese.
Roll in breadcrumbs.
And bake it until those bread crumbs are crispy and the little cheese cube melts in the middle for the most delicious molten lava-cheese center.
Maybe dip it in some spicy ranch. Devour. (This is worthy of being devoured.)
We served these little puppies (I mean, do they not kind of actually look like hush puppies?!) at a southern-themed shower recently and they were all the rage.
Southern comfort food? Check.
Reinvented into convenient-for-a-party finger food? Check.
Still gooey and delicious? Check. Check.
Rock these fried, garlicky, herbaceous macaroni and cheese bites / balls loaded with butter, mozzarella, sharp cheddar, thyme, oregano & sage. Crispy, crunchy outside. Ooey-gooey inside. Yeah, you want that.
Cook the macaroni according to package directions. Drain, rinse and set aside.
Once flour is completely incorporated and you no longer see any white from the flour, continue cooking for about 2 minutes.
Allow mixture to cook over medium heat until it begins to thicken, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and spices. Continue cooking while whisking until the mixture thickens so that it coats the back of a spoon.
Remove from heat and stir in the shredded cheese. Pour sauce over noodles until they are coated. You may have slightly more sauce than you need.
Allow to cool to room temp, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 5 hours or overnight.
Cut the block of cheese into cubes about ½ in. After refrigerating, scoop spoonfuls of mac n cheese about 3 Tbsp, stuff one cheese cube in the middle and roll into balls around the cheese cube.
Mix the bread crumbs and spices together in a shallow bowl or on a plate. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg and milk.
Preheat oven to 375ºF.
Dip each mac n cheese ball into the milk / egg mixture then roll in the breadcrumbs and place onto a greased baking sheet.
Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.
While they are baking, stir together the ingredients for the spicy ranch.
Serve warm.
Ingredients
Directions
Cook the macaroni according to package directions. Drain, rinse and set aside.
Once flour is completely incorporated and you no longer see any white from the flour, continue cooking for about 2 minutes.
Allow mixture to cook over medium heat until it begins to thicken, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and spices. Continue cooking while whisking until the mixture thickens so that it coats the back of a spoon.
Remove from heat and stir in the shredded cheese. Pour sauce over noodles until they are coated. You may have slightly more sauce than you need.
Allow to cool to room temp, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 5 hours or overnight.
Cut the block of cheese into cubes about ½ in. After refrigerating, scoop spoonfuls of mac n cheese about 3 Tbsp, stuff one cheese cube in the middle and roll into balls around the cheese cube.
Mix the bread crumbs and spices together in a shallow bowl or on a plate. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg and milk.
Preheat oven to 375ºF.
Dip each mac n cheese ball into the milk / egg mixture then roll in the breadcrumbs and place onto a greased baking sheet.
Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.
While they are baking, stir together the ingredients for the spicy ranch.
Serve warm.
Mother-blogger (watch your mouth). Frugal Foodie. Never measured an ingredient in her life. Modern Minimalist. Hospitalitizer. The plan executor. The design eye. The sweet & salty, sugar & spice, fire & ice, no fuss, no frills, put your big girl panties on and take it like a woman. Achiever. Winner. The inclusivist. Your fierce advocate. Best friend to many. True to all.