It’s fair to say that I'm not the biggest fan of fried foods. So when my brother moved back from Colorado and offered me his air-fryer (because he didn’t like it) I was pretty excited to get to play with it. Over the last year of air-frying I have learned a few tips and tricks. There is definitely a bit of a learning curve when it comes to the air-fryer.
Not everything is great when being air-fried rather than deep dried. And that’s just the nature of it. Of course, the deep fried things tend to be more greasy, but they are also more crisp and tend to take less time. So when making these delicious Mac & Cheese Balls, my brother and I decided to have a fry off.
These Mac & Cheese Balls are rather easy to make and they’re a great way to use up leftover macaroni and cheese. I used some shells and cheese, but any mac & cheese here will work so long as it’s cold. Rolling it up into balls is the most ‘difficult’ and messy part. I used a glove to do it and then quickly put them all in the freezer to set up.
I’m happy to report that my air-fried Mac & Cheese Balls were just as good as the regular fried ones. They were cheesy and melty and perfectly gooey. The only real difference that any of us could tell was that the regular fried ones were a little more crisp and held together a little butter. Other than that, it would be difficult to tell which was which in a blind taste-test.
TheSkinnyFork.com Tasty bites of air-fried mac and cheese that are perfect as a hot appetizer or part of a meal. You'll never guess that these are lightened up in the most easy of ways! Prep Time: 10 Minutes • Cook Time: 8 Minutes
Servings: 13 • Serving Size: 1 Mac & Cheese Ball • Calories: 100 • Fat: 5 g • Saturated Fat: 2 g • Carb: 10 g • Fiber: 1 g • Protein: 4 g • Sugar: 2 g • Sodium: 145 mg
• 3 C. Leftover Mac & Cheese
• 4 Oz. Reduced Fat Neufchâtel Cream Cheese, Room Temperature
• 2 Whole Large Eggs
• 1/2 C. Panko
• 1/4 C. Whole Wheat Bread Crumbs
• 1 Tsp. Salt
• 1 Tsp. Paprika
• 1 Tsp. Garlic Powder
Directions:
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat; set aside.
Mix together the leftover mac-n-cheese with the 4 Oz. softened cream cheese.
Use a 1/4 C. measuring cup to scoop out the mac-n-cheese; shape into a ball and place onto the prepared baking sheet.
Rinse and repeat until all of the noodles are used up.
Place the baking sheet into the freezer for at least 5 minutes and up to a few hours.
When you’re ready to air-fry, set up your dredging station. Whisk the 2 eggs in one bowl; set aside. Mix together the 1/2 C. panko, 1/4 C. bread crumbs, 1 Tsp. salt, 1 Tsp. paprika, and 1 Tsp. garlic powder in a second bowl.
Remove the mac-n-cheese balls from the freezer and dip each into the egg mixture, then into the bread crumb mixture, and back onto the baking sheet.
Lightly coat the inside of the air-fryer with non-stick spray.
Working in batches, place 4-5 of the prepared mac-n-cheese balls into the prepared air-fryer basket.
Cook at 400 degrees for 8 minutes.
Once done, remove from the air-fryer basked and continue until all mac-n-cheese balls are cooked.
Serve right away and enjoy!
Step-by-Step Photos:
Nutritional Claims: Sugar Conscious • Low Potassium • Kidney Friendly • Vegetarian • Pescatarian • Peanut Free • Tree Nut Free • Soy Free • Fish Free • Shellfish Free • Pork Free • Red Meat Free • Crustacean Free • Celery Free • Mustard Free • Sesame Free • Lupine Free • Mollusk Free • Alcohol Free • Sulphite Free • Kosher