Deep Fried Macaroni & Cheese
I want to advise you not to try this at home, but really you should. Especially if you happen to be a marathon runner in need of a carb load or someone who is trying to put on weight. (ie: not me.)
For the first week of July, I can’t help but be swept up by the Stampede, and inevitably a pot of canola oil shows up on my stovetop with which to fry corn dogs and mini donuts, which goes along way toward winning friends and influencing people. This year I was challenged to make deep-fried mac & cheese; a midway staple that popped up a few years ago, but the novelty has worn off in the presence of newer deep-fried products with higher gross-out factors, like deep fried Coke, Oreos, and this year – jellybeans. (For those of you who are curious how one might deep-fry Coke, they just make a sort of beer batter with Coke and flour, and dribble it into hot oil. The result is a little like those crispy bits you get in the bottom of your fish & chips box, only sweeter. I can’t imagine the markup on this particular product.)
I am more old school – mini donuts (but only from the vendors with the yellow and orange sign – preferably the one closest to Weadickville) maybe a Fiddlestick (those slabs of vanilla ice cream dipped in chocolate and doused in chopped nuts), and Mike and I always share a corn dog, which is enough for me for the year. When in Rome, you know.
As it turns out, deep-fried mac & cheese is a lot like far more refined arancini, which is not at all balked at, and in fact those with appreciative palates have been known to pay upwards of $8 at certain Italian groceries about town for one. And although it might be a little more lowbrow, it’s simple to make. Just like risotto, mac & cheese solidifies overnight in the fridge, so that you can cut it into neat cubes which are easily rolled in shallow bowls of flour, beaten egg and Panko (in that order), and fried in hot oil. They are crispy on the outside, soft and cheesy within. (They reminded me of those old-fashioned marshmallows dipped in coconut.) I made some for CBC this morning, and fortunately my sister and her kids popped in around dinnertime and kindly allowed me to pawn off the rest. Otherwise I’m sure it would have whined at me from the fridge until I put it out of its misery.
Deep-fried Mac & Cheese
AuthorJulie
Prepare the macaroni and cheese and pour it into a pan - a 9"x5" loaf pan works well, or a 9"x9" square pan. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or until solid.
When ready to fry them, put the flour, eggs and Panko in three shallow dishes; beat the eggs a little with a fork. Heat the oil in a deep pot until a bit of bread sizzles when put in, but the oil is not smoking. Cut the macaroni and cheese into blocks about 1" x 1 1/2", roll each in flour to coat, then dip in the egg, and coat in breadcrumbs. Fry in the hot oil until crispy and golden. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Serve warm.
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the macaroni and cheese and pour it into a pan - a 9"x5" loaf pan works well, or a 9"x9" square pan. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or until solid.
When ready to fry them, put the flour, eggs and Panko in three shallow dishes; beat the eggs a little with a fork. Heat the oil in a deep pot until a bit of bread sizzles when put in, but the oil is not smoking. Cut the macaroni and cheese into blocks about 1" x 1 1/2", roll each in flour to coat, then dip in the egg, and coat in breadcrumbs. Fry in the hot oil until crispy and golden. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Serve warm.
One Year Ago: White Beans with Tomatoes, Spinach and Bacon
Brilliant. Especially because I love arancini, but they take forever to make; this is much more user friendly. These would probably be a hit for my next girls night in, you know, for all those marathon runner friends of mine.
Crazy! I love this idea. (Once I start deep-frying stuff, though, it’s gonna be hard to stop…)
I am tired and had a big day. Just logged in to see what you are up to. Your kitchen antics and writing never fail to make me smile, I have marathon running friends too, who just might need to eat this sometime. Thanks!
okay, you’re going to hate me for writing this, but I can’t bring myself to making this, as good as it sounds… I am going to try it though, but trying it the oven baked way — instead of dropping them in oil, I’ll spritz them with oil and bake them at a reasonably hot temperature. I’ll let you know how it goes.
you’re killing me, here. This morning I was wondering if I should cut out the three strawberries and half banana in my breakfast smoothie in an attempt to tighten my diet even further. I think what I need is to have a job like yours, where I can make all of this awesome-looking and fun-to-prepare food, then sell it within 30 seconds to get it out of my weakly-grasping hands.
save this one for Halloween….. deep fried brains. 🙂
I’ve made this too, but called it Rissoles, after I had a ton of mac & cheese left over from a party. The finished product freezes very well for re-warming in the newker too. I’m always looking for “cheap” & filling stuff to serve to my husband’s students, so this fits the bill as great college kid grub.
Great idea Julie, and wonderful adaptation, Theresa. I would use spaghetti for the brains.
I’ve always wanted to try deep fried mac and cheese. I’m a deep fried kind of girl, so I know I’d love it!
Cheryl,
I’ve done enough kid parties to know the grosser the name the better they like it! I figured W would be a demi-god with this one!!
Ha, Julie, this is hilarious. I almost spit my organic cherry fruit smoothie (though I secretly want to eat deep-fried mac’n’cheese of course) all over my laptop as I read this post. My husband will now undoubtedly go about deep-frying up some coke. I guess I haven’t been to the Stampede in WAAAYYYY too long. I had no idea what I was missing. Cheers.
Julie, you have now gotten me pondering other things that would stand up to the deep-fry treatment. Squash blossoms are fairly exotic, as is ice cream but I wonder if anyone has tried other bizzare stuff. How about deep-fried grape or sun-dried tomatoes, or (Heaven forbid!), battered and deep-fried crispy bacon strips? Now that would be a BLT to behold! What happens when one uses a different type of flour for the batter? How long can one safely re-use the frying oil without replacing it?
Oh but of COURSE you can deep fry bacon! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfbTO0GlONU
I like fried cheese curds, but in my opinion the only thing that makes cheese better is macaroni. Sounds very good!
I am speechless. I just found your blog and love it!
Wow I must be the only one who doesn’t like anything deep fried and was slightly grossed out reading this post. (Sorry Julie, I enjoy most all of your entries.)
President’s Choice actually sells a mac n chese nugget product, I think yours has their processed cheese version beaten hands down 🙂
Wow, I’ve only seen Paula Deen make this once on TV and thought it sounded somewhere between yummy and scary. 🙂
Wait, the coke thing is like beer batter? Do they make deep fried beer?!
Wow…those take mac n’ cheese to a new level. My fav Stampede foods by far are the lemonaid (oh so refreshing) and those smoked beef sandwiches that are something like $9 a piece. Totally worth it!
That’s some YouTube video you referenced regarding deep-fried bacon. I take it all back…I’m curious no longer and will never look on a rasher the same way again (except with a heavy heart, literally). I could feel my arteries constricting on seeing the rest of the menu!Gak!
They have this at the Texas State Fair, and it’s AWESOME. I’m really glad you’re spreading the love from Canada! The fair has Fried Coke too, by the way. And fried PBJ. And fried Oreos… and Snickers… and Twinkies…
I would love to try one. I could never make a batch of them.
Oh bless your fried cheesy heart. I’ve been looking for a worthy recipe ever since I discovered heaven at the Cheesecake factory. So thank you!
Great post! Though for some reason I am craving deep fried something now.
O_O Do you think People with braces could eat this? x)
Great post! I just made these and can’t wait to post them!
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