Ingredients
Scale
- 4 cups water
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 Tbsp whole grain or dijon mustard
- 1 tsp sriracha hot sauce
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 lb dried macaroni
- 12 oz evaporated milk
- 1 lb American cheese, sliced from the deli counter
- 1 cup shredded smoked gouda
- 1/2 cup All Purpose flour
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- peanut or vegetable oil, for frying
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, bring the water, butter, mustard, sriracha and salt to a boil.
- Add the macaroni and boil, uncovered, to al dente, stirring occasionally so the pasta doesn’t stick.
- Turn heat to low and add the evaporated milk.
- Slowly start tearing and adding the American cheese a couple slices at a time and the shredded gouda. Wait for the cheese to melt before adding more, slowly, until both the American and gouda are fully melted.
- At this point, feel free to serve half warm as is and reserve the other half for frying. Half of the recipe makes about 20 macaroni bites.
- Chill, covered, in the fridge 2-4 hours or overnight, until firm.
- Heat the oil in a deep fryer, or a heavy skillet with about an inch of oil, to 350°F.
- In the bowl of a processor or grinder, pulse the breadcrumbs a few times to get a smoother texture. Alternatively, place the breadcrumbs in an airtight resealable bag and hammer a few times to break up the pieces of panko.
- Lay out three shallow bowls in your work area.
- Place the flour in one.
- In another, beat the eggs.
- In the last, mix the breadcrumbs with a pinch of salt.
- With a strong handled spoon, scoop out rounded tablespoons of the chilled macaroni and cheese and shape into balls.
- Dip in the flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs, then back in the eggs and breadcrumbs again. With each dip, make sure the macaroni is coated fully and the excess is shaken off.
- Fry 30 seconds – 1 minute, until the outside is golden brown and the center is nice and gooey.
- Serve warm, immediately, with jalapeño ranch, ranch, sriracha or another tasty dip.
Notes
tools
- large saucepan
- deep fryer or skillet large enough to hold 1″ oil
- instant read thermometer
- food processor or grinder
- three shallow bowls
If needing to keep warm for a party, they should do just fine on a sheet pan in a 200°F oven.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Appetizers
- Method: Stove
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2