Breaded Macaroni and Cheese Balls
- Number of Servings: 18
Ingredients
De Cecco Orecchiette (or other shell-shaped pasta), 5 1/2 cupExtra Sharp Cheddar, 8 ozWondra Flour, 1/4 cupButter, unsalted, 3 tbsp, dividedHeavy Cream, 1/4 cupSour Cream, 1/4 cupMilk, 2%, 1 1/4 cupNeufchatel Cheese, 8 oz Garlic, 3 clovesGround Mustard, 1 tspPaprika, 1 tspSalt, 2 tsp, dividedBread Crumbs (Panko Japanese Style), 1 1/2 cupParmesan Cheese, shredded, 2 tbsp
Preheat oven to 350.
Boil pasta in water according to directions on package until pasta is al-dente. Drain pasta, and in the same pot, add 1 1/2 tbsp butter. Turn heat to medium low, and melt butter. Add flour (I use Wondra Flour here, though any regular flour also works) and stir until all butter is absorbed. Allow flour to begin to turn golden brown, stirring often. Add heavy cream, and stir thoroughly to incorporate. Next, add sour cream, allowing flour-and-cream mixture to fully combine and thicken up between each step. Add milk 1/4 cup at a time, continuing to stir and heat up mixture between each addition. Next, add neufchatel cheese and melt fully into mixture. Then, add grated sharp cheddar slowly, letting cheese melt before adding more. Finally, add 1 tsp salt, ground mustard, minced garlic, and paprika to cheese sauce, stirring until combined. Add drained pasta and mix until all shells are covered. Sauce will be thick and sticky.
In a separate, small bowl, combine panko, parmesan cheese, and 1 tsp salt. Using a 1/3-cup scoop, make balls from macaroni-and-cheese mixture. Drop ball from scoop directly into panko mix, covering entire ball in mixture. Place breaded macaroni balls evenly spaced onto a cookie sheet.
Bake on the center rack of your oven for 20-25 minutes, until panko crumbs begin to turn golden. For the last 3 to 5 minutes, move the sheet to the broiler and cook until tops are golden brown, rotating cookie sheet halfway through.
Makes 18 1/3-cup macaroni balls.
Number of Servings: 18
Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user THEARTOFMEGAN.
Boil pasta in water according to directions on package until pasta is al-dente. Drain pasta, and in the same pot, add 1 1/2 tbsp butter. Turn heat to medium low, and melt butter. Add flour (I use Wondra Flour here, though any regular flour also works) and stir until all butter is absorbed. Allow flour to begin to turn golden brown, stirring often. Add heavy cream, and stir thoroughly to incorporate. Next, add sour cream, allowing flour-and-cream mixture to fully combine and thicken up between each step. Add milk 1/4 cup at a time, continuing to stir and heat up mixture between each addition. Next, add neufchatel cheese and melt fully into mixture. Then, add grated sharp cheddar slowly, letting cheese melt before adding more. Finally, add 1 tsp salt, ground mustard, minced garlic, and paprika to cheese sauce, stirring until combined. Add drained pasta and mix until all shells are covered. Sauce will be thick and sticky.
In a separate, small bowl, combine panko, parmesan cheese, and 1 tsp salt. Using a 1/3-cup scoop, make balls from macaroni-and-cheese mixture. Drop ball from scoop directly into panko mix, covering entire ball in mixture. Place breaded macaroni balls evenly spaced onto a cookie sheet.
Bake on the center rack of your oven for 20-25 minutes, until panko crumbs begin to turn golden. For the last 3 to 5 minutes, move the sheet to the broiler and cook until tops are golden brown, rotating cookie sheet halfway through.
Makes 18 1/3-cup macaroni balls.
Number of Servings: 18
Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user THEARTOFMEGAN.
Nutritional Info Amount Per Serving
- Calories: 243.2
- Total Fat: 11.7 g
- Cholesterol: 33.4 mg
- Sodium: 384.3 mg
- Total Carbs: 25.7 g
- Dietary Fiber: 1.2 g
- Protein: 9.4 g