Annie's x Graza: Mac and Cheese Croquettes
This recipe is everything a comfort food should be: warm, crispy, cheesy, and finished with a healthy topping of Drizzle.
Mac and Cheese
1 pack diced pancetta
1 tsp Sizzle
1 garlic clove minced
1 box of Annie's White Cheddar Shells
¼ cup milk
2 tbsp butter
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 cup parmesan shredded
½ cup Gouda shredded
1 egg
salt + pepper
Breading
salt + pepper
2 eggs beaten
1 cup of fine breadcrumbs
Cooking
1 bottle of Sizzle
Garnish
Flaky salt
1 tbsp Drizzle
Your favorite aioli!
Chives
Instructions
In a small skillet, add Sizzle and heat on medium. After a minute or so add the garlic clove and stir frequently for about a minute. Add pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pancetta is crispy and cooked through. It should take about 5-7 minutes. Once done, remove from heat.
While pancetta crisps up, boil about 6 cups of water in a medium saucepan. Once the water is boiling, add Annie's White Cheddar Shells and follow the cooking instructions accordingly. Once done, save ¼ cup of pasta water and drain the pasts. In the original pot, mix pasta, milk, Annie's pack of White Cheddar, and butter until smooth and fully incorporated. Add parmesan, gouda, pancetta, egg, salt and pepper to taste, and mix until smooth and incorporated.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. With a spoon or small ice cream scoop, scoop and tightly form a ball of the white cheddar shell mixture and place on the baking sheet. Repeat until all the mac and cheese is gone. Freeze for 1-2 hours.
Right before the freezing process is done, prep the breading station by adding breadcrumbs to one bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add eggs to another separate bowl, and flour to a separate bowl.
In a large heavy pot (Le Creuset or cast iron) and Sizzle until it covers about 2 inches of height in the pot. Heat until oil remains at 365F.
While oil is heating up, roll each mac and cheese ball into the egg mixture until fully coated, then into the breadcrumb mixture until fully coated. Repeat with all mac and cheese balls.
Once the oil is ready, add enough mac and cheese balls while still not overcrowding the pan. Cook for 4-6 minutes on each side or until equally golden brown on all sides.
Place all fried mac and cheese balls on a plate covered with some paper towels to capture all excess oil. And sprinkle with some flaky salt!
Serve with the aioli of your choice, some thinly sliced chives, and some Drizzle!
ENJOY THE BEAUTIFUL CRISPY INDULGENCE!!!
P.S. Don't forget that you can reuse your oil to fry something or cook with it again! Strain the oil, and store it in the fridge for 2 weeks. Cook some fried rice, a breakfast scramble or any other fried delights.
