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Fried mac and cheese bites
Put your leftover mac and cheese to good use with these crunchy and cheesy bites that can be made in your air fryer or a shallow pan.
YIELDS
4
Ingredients
- 7 cups leftover macaroni and cheese, refrigerated overnight
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
Directions
- Cut refrigerated mac and cheese into roughly one-and-a-half-inch cubes. Set a cooling rack over a baking sheet (line with paper towels if shallow-frying).
- Set out three shallow dishes. Place flour in the first dish, egg whisked with water and salt in the second dish, and panko in the third dish. Dredge each mac and cheese cube in flour on all sides, shake off excess, dip in egg wash and coat well with panko. Place on a cooling rack and repeat with the remaining cubes.
Air Fry
- Preheat the air fryer to 360 F for five minutes. Open and place the parchment liner in a drawer. Spray with a light coating of oil. In batches, as needed, depending on the size of the air fryer basket, arrange mac and cheese cubes in a single layer, with at least one-inch spacing around each piece. Spray with oil. Air fry for five minutes, flip over, spray with oil, and air fry for five minutes more. Transfer batches to the cooling rack and continue with the remaining cubes. Sprinkle flakey salt on top of mac and cheese cubes while still hot.
Shallow Fry
- Place oil in a large skillet, so it comes up about three-quarter inches up the side (about @ cups of oil in an 11” skillet). Heat on medium to medium-high until the oil reaches about 370-375 F on a digital thermometer inserted in the center of the skillet (without touching the skillet bottom) or you see bubbles rising rapidly up the sides of a wooden chopstick or spatula inserted in the middle. Using tongs, carefully place mac and cheese cubes in the skillet, not touching. Fry in batches, and don’t overcrowd the pan, which can drop the oil temperature down too much. Fry for one to two minutes, or when golden, flip once and fry the other side. Adjust heat as needed to maintain the oil temperature at 375 F. (TIP: It’s essential to adjust your heat to keep the oil at or around the same temperature throughout. If your oil is getting too hot (i.e. smoking), add some oil to cool it down quickly). Once golden, transfer to a cooling rack and continue with the remaining cubes. Sprinkle flakey salt on top of mac and cheese cubes while still hot.
- Enjoy them hot and crunchy!
TIP: Feel free to substitute the chives and pesto with other fresh or dried herbs. If using dried, one teaspoon total will be perfect!
