Crispy Fried Homemade Mac and Cheese Bites

Ingredients

Bacon Mac and Cheese

• 284 g bacon (~14 strips)
• 227 g elbow macaroni
• 30 g bacon grease or unsalted butter (see notes)
• 16 g all-purpose flour
• 270 mL milk
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 227 g sharp cheddar, shredded
• 227 g Monterey Jack, shredded

Breading

• 125 g all-purpose flour + 1 tsp salt + pepper + onion powder
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 180 g seasoned panko breadcrumbs
• Vegetable oil for frying

Instructions

Bacon Mac and Cheese

1. Bake the bacon — Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking tray with foil, lay bacon side by side, and bake 10–15 minutes until desired crispiness. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. Chop the bacon and reserve 2 tablespoons (30 g) of the grease, if using.
2. Cook the pasta — Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add macaroni and cook 7 minutes (or per package). Drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside.
3. Make the cheese sauce — Heat the bacon grease (or butter) in a large saucepan over medium. Whisk in the flour to make a roux; cook until bubbly. Stream in milk while whisking. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, cayenne, and nutmeg. Simmer 2 minutes.
4. Finish sauce — Off heat, stir in the cheeses until melted. Fold in macaroni and chopped bacon. The mixture should look creamy and thick; if soupy, cook a bit more over medium. Rinse noodles again if they've clumped.
5. Chill — Spread evenly in a plastic-wrap- or parchment-lined 9×9" pan. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight, until firm.

Shape and Fry

1. Cut or scoop — Turn the firm block onto a cutting board and cut into 6 strips vertically and 6 horizontally for 36 squares. Or use a cookie scoop (2–3 tbsp) and hand-shape into balls, compressing slightly.
2. Set up breading stations — Three bowls: (1) flour + salt + pepper + onion powder, (2) beaten eggs, (3) seasoned panko.
3. Bread — Dip each bite into flour (shake off excess) → egg (let excess drip) → panko (press to coat). Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Transfer to the freezer until ready to fry.
4. Heat the oil — Heat at least 2" (5 cm) of oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot to 360–370°F (180–190°C).
5. Fry in batches — Gently drop in 3–4 bites at a time; fry 4–5 minutes per batch until golden. Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with flaky salt and serve hot.

Notes

• Bacon grease — 2 tbsp of rendered grease gives a nice smoky note in the roux. If going bacon-free, use an equal amount of butter.
• Make ahead (fridge) — Mac and cheese can be made through step 5 and kept covered in the fridge up to 3 days.
• Make ahead (freezer) — Bread the bites fully, store airtight in the freezer up to 1 month. Fry from frozen; add 1–2 minutes to fry time, no thawing.

Nutrition (per bite, 36 bites)

Tags: #recipe #apps #macandcheese #fried #bacon #party