Fried Mac and Cheese Bites for Cocktails

Name: Fried Mac and Cheese Bites for Cocktails
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: half a portion leftover mac and cheese (see former recipe); 2 eggs; 1 cup panko; 3/4 cup vegetable oil; Salt

onthemenu.blog @cook_18561163

New York City

You can make these with your favorite leftover basic mac and cheese, or my grown-up version (posted on this site and on my blog); just be sure that it is the kind of mac and cheese that solidifies once it has spent the night in the fridge, not the creamy comfort version whcih, though delicious, will fall apart when you attempt to batter and fry it.

These are delicious as a snack that actually staves off a teen's appetite, or with cocktails on a late, indulgent Sunday afternoon and, while crispy and gooey, are shallow fried rather than deep-fried so that I could tell myself that it was OK to eat several.

onthemenu.blog @cook_18561163

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Ingredients

12 servings

halfa portion leftover mac and cheese (see former recipe)
2eggs
1 cuppanko
3/4 cupvegetable oil
Salt

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Steps

1

Remove the leftover mac and cheese from the pan. It should come out in one piece. Using a sharp knife, cut it into equal bite-sized pieces.
2

Beat the 2 eggs in a shallow dish. Measure the panko out into another.
3

Roll each piece of the mac and cheese liberally in the egg, and then in the panko, pressing the panko onto the mac and cheese on all sides to get as much as possible to adhere. Set aside on a plate and repeat until all of the pieces of mac and cheese are coated in panko. Set aside.
4

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until a piece of panko that is tossed in immediately turns golden browm. Lower the heat and, working in batches, cook the mac and cheese until golden brown on the bottom, before flipping and cooking the other side. This will take about a minute a side. As you remove the pieces from the pan, lay them on a paper towel lined plate to drain.
5

Serve immediately while still hot and crispy, sprinkled with a little salt. Plain table salt is just fine, though Maldon salt crystals taste particularly delicious.