I posted these mac ‘n’ cheese bites on my Instagram a long time ago, but until now the only place to find the recipe was on Pinterest — and I’m happy to say there are so many more of y’all now! And with the holidays approaching I thought I would put them back on your radar because they are the perfect impressive app. Oh, and are they still playing football? Because these would also be welcome at any Game Day™ party.
These are a little bit of a project, but you can (and should) break the work down into parts. They can be prepped a day or two ahead of time, up until the point of coating and frying, in advance. Just make the mac and allow it to set covered in the tin in the fridge. Then take them out when you’re ready to fry, cut the block into squares, coat them, and fry. You can even keep them warm on a sheet pan in a 200°F oven until ready to serve.
They’re called mac ‘n’ cheese bites, but in reality, they’re more like 2 or 3 bites, just so you get an idea of how many people they’ll feed and how to serve them. I like dipping them in, yes, ketchup, but they could also be great with buffalo sauce, hot sauce, or maybe nothing at all.
Did you make this recipe? I want to see! Tag me @easygayoven on TikTok and Instagram.
Mac ‘n’ Cheese Bites
Ingredients
- ½ pound of macaroni
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne powder
- ¼ teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 4 oz. cream cheese
- 4 oz. Monterey Jack cheese shredded
- 4 oz. sharp cheddar shredded
- 4 oz. pancetta diced (optional)
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 cup flour
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1.5 quarts good frying oil like vegetable, canola or safflower
Instructions
- Grease and line a 8×8 or 9×9-inch square tin with parchment paper, set aside.
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook macaroni according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Rinse and dry the pot and bring it back to the stove over medium heat. If you’re using it, cook the pancetta over until browned and crispy, then scoop out onto a plate lined with paper towels.
- Melt the butter in the pot on medium-low, scraping up any bits of pancetta on the bottom, then dump in the flour. Combine the butter and flour to form a roux, and cook it until it’s thick and bubbly.
- Combine the milk, nutmeg, cayenne, mustard, salt and pepper in a bowl or glass measuring cup. Pour into the roux and whisk vigorously until it begins to thicken.
- Once the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, dump the cheeses in and stir until smooth.
- Add the pasta and pancetta back to the pot, and fold them in. It should look thick and creamy — not soupy. If it looks a little loose, just keep cooking for a little longer until it thickens more.
- Pour the mac and cheese into your prepared tin and level it off. Let it cool slightly then cover with plastic wrap or foil, making sure to poke vents so it can let off steam, and refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours, but even better overnight.
- Once the block of mac and cheese is really firm and congealed, lift it out of the tin with the parchment and place onto a cutting board.
- With a sharp, long knife, cut the block vertically into 6 even strips, then cut 6 more horizontally, so you’re left with 36 squares of mac. Cover and chill the squares while you set up the next step.
- Set up your assembly line. Place the flour, panko and eggs in 3 shallow bowls or rimmed plates. Season your flour with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Take a square of mac, coat it in flour, shake off any excess, then coat it in the egg, let the excess drip off, and then roll it in the panko. Repeat with remaining squares. Place them in the freezer while you set up the next step.
- In a large, heavy-bottomed pot like a dutch oven, heat the oil to 350°F. Prepare a wire rack over paper towels or a sheet pan to let the bites drain.
- Working with about 4 at a time, carefully place the squares in the hot oil. Using a wire spider or a slotted spoon, flip each a few times to ensure even cooking. You’ll know they’re done when they’re a deep golden brown and floating on top. It should only take a couple minutes.
- (Tip: Keep a close eye on the temperature of your oil. The cold mac and cheese bites can drop the temperature, or the temperature can rise in between fryings, so adjust accordingly. If you have a thermometer that can affix to the side of the pot, that’s ideal.)
- Remove to the wire rack to drain and season with a little salt. Repeat with the remaining bites!
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