Description
These Fried Mac & Cheese Bites with Sweet Basil Marinara are a delightful twist on traditional mac and cheese, combining crispy fried goodness with gooey, cheesy comfort. Perfect for parties or as a fun snack!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Mac & Cheese Squares:
- 454 grams Elbow Macaroni
- 4 cups Chicken Stock
- 1 1/2 cups Evaporated Milk (1- 354 ml can)
- 2 cups Cheddar Cheese, shredded
- 2 cups Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
- 1 teaspoon Paprika
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
Sweet Basil Marinara Sauce:
- 28 oz Diced Tomatoes, canned, drained and slightly blended
- 1/4 cup Brown Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 Tablespoon Dried Basil
- 1 teaspoon Salt
Breading:
- 1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour
- 1/4 cup Cornstarch
- 3 Eggs
- 1/4 cup Water
- 3 cups Panko Breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- To make the mac & cheese squares: In a large pot, cook the elbow macaroni in chicken stock and evaporated milk until tender. Add cheeses, paprika, pepper, and salt. Spread on a baking sheet and chill.
- Sweet Basil Marinara Sauce: Blend diced tomatoes, sugar, olive oil, basil, and salt. Simmer until thickened. Chill.
- Breading: Set up bowls with flour/cornstarch, egg/water, and panko/garlic powder/salt mix.
- Breading the Mac & Cheese Bites: Cut chilled mac & cheese into squares. Dip in flour, egg, and panko mix. Fry until golden brown.
Notes
- For extra flavor, consider adding a pinch of cayenne pepper to the mac & cheese mixture.
- Ensure the oil is hot enough before frying to prevent the bites from absorbing too much oil.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 square
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 380mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 15g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 8g
- Cholesterol: 45mg
