Leftover Mac and Cheese Bites

It never fails – Baby Girl will always leave a little of the Kraft Mac and Cheese she made as an after school snack in the pot thinking she will come back for seconds. I decided to make her last round of leftovers into bites that are great as a snack or appetizer for any type of gathering.

The coating system is super simple and gives a great crispness to the bites.  Adding cornstarch to the flour for the first pass dredge aids in the entire coating system sticking to the filling.  Pasteurized egg whites tend to blend into these types of adhesion batters a bit better (que Betty Botter lol).  I’ve also re-hydrated dried egg whites for this application.  Although they work, they tend to clump.  To remove the clumps the batter needs to be whisked longer, creating a foamier viscosity. As for the outer crumb, I grind my own breadcrumbs from the heels of the loaves of bread we purchase.  However, any store-bought brand crumb will due.

Leftover Kraft Mac and Cheese Bites

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Ingredients

  

• For Filling:
• 1 Cup Leftover Kraft Mac and Cheese
• ½ Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• For Coating:
• 2 Tablespoon All Purpose Flour
• 2 Tablespoon Corn Starch
• S.P.O.G (Salt, Pepper, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, to taste)
• ½ Cup Egg Whites
• 2 Cup Plain Bread Crumb
• Vegetable Oil (for frying)

Instructions

 

• Combine ingredients for filling.
• Divide the filling into 15 balls and refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes.
• In a pot, heat about 2 inches of oil to 350°F for shallow frying the bites.
• Combine 1 tablespoon of flour, 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and some S.P.O.G in a container with a lid that is larger enough to hold the ball.
• In a bowl large enough for dipping the balls, combine the remaining flour and cornstarch with more S.P.O.G. Whisk in the egg white and set aside.
• Place breadcrumbs in a bowl large enough to coat the balls.
• Set up an assembly line: flour/cornstarch mix, egg white batter, and breadcrumbs.
• Place the balls in the flour/cornstarch mix, cover with lid and shake around until balls are completely coated.
• Dip each ball into the batter and then coat with breadcrumbs.
• Gently place the bites into the heated oil and fry for approximately 1 minute or until the coating begins to brown.
• Remove from oil and place on paper towel lined plate to remove excess oil. Serve while hot.