Fried MAC & CHeese

Ingredients

3 cups prepared macaroni and cheese (chilled)

1 cup shredded cheese (your favorite blend)

Salt & Pepper to taste

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups Panko breadcrumbs

2 cups oil for frying

Ranch, Marinara, or other sauce for dipping

Bacon Crumbles (optional...but are they really?) 

Directions

Combine leftover mac & cheese with freshly shredded cheese (just to make sure they're extra cheesy) and fold until cheese is well incorporated.

Form balls using either an ice cream scoop or by hand (if you do it by hand, a bowl of clean water nearby will help handleability. Wet fingers in water before forming each ball) and place on platter or cookie sheet. Chill in the freezer for about 15 mins.

While Mac & Cheese is in the freezer beat the eggs in a small bowl and combine breadcrumbs, salt and pepper in another bowl.

Bring oil to 375ºF in a deep-frier or small saucepan. When oil it to the correct temperature, remove the mac & cheese from the freezer and dredge each ball in egg and then breadcrumb mixture. Place 2-3 balls in oil at a time and fry until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Remove and drain on rack or paper towels.

To take the recipe to another level, drizzle the finished product with ranch dressing and sprinkle with bacon crumbles.