Fried macaroni and cheese Cheesecake Factory Imitation
Fried macaroni and cheese Cheesecake Factory Imitation
This imitated version of the cheesecake factory fried macaroni and cheese appetizer is to die for! It is made of cream macaroni and cheese, wrapped in delicious crispy breadcrumbs.
Mac and cheese balls are appetizers that I get every time I go to the cheesecake factory! We don’t go often, so I’m glad we have this mimic recipe that allows me to cook this delicious dish at home.
Cheesecake Factory Classic
Have you ever tried macaroni and cheese balls from the Cheesecake Factory? They will die (and everything else there)-and one of our favorite appetizers!
We redo some of their recipes, such as their Luau salad, their famous avocado omelet, or my favorite recipe-vermicelli with sun-dried tomatoes.
The results are great, but I think these fried macaroni and cheese balls may be my favorite mimic recipe so far!
I warn that they take a while to assemble, but every second is so worthwhile. We ended up double-breading them too, which I think made a big difference. They are very crunchy on the outside, soft and delicious on the inside, and full of creamy flavor.
How to make fried macaroni and cheese balls
Noodle. Cook macaroni according to package instructions. Drain immediately and rinse with cold water. Drain again and set aside.
Sauce. Melt butter in a pan over medium heat. Sprinkle with flour and stir with a whisk. Cook for 2 minutes. Stir in hot milk to remove any lumps. Cook for about 2 minutes until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat source. Add the two cheeses and stir until melted and smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
Combine. Fold the macaroni, pour it into a shallow pan, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours until the macaroni is cold.
freeze. Shape the cold macaroni and cheese into meatball-sized balls and place them on a tray coated with wax paper. Freeze overnight.
bread. Beat the eggs with 2 tablespoons of milk, then pour them into a shallow bowl. Pour the breadcrumbs into another shallow bowl. Dip the frozen balls into the egg mixture and then into the breadcrumbs. Repeat these steps twice for each ball.
saute. Fry the coated macaroni and cheese balls for 5 minutes until golden brown and the center is hot.
- Oil: I usually use vegetable oil, but you can also use peanut oil or even lard to fry these delicious foods. The oil temperature should be around 350°F. You may need to adjust the temperature, because each time you add frozen balls, the temperature is lowered.
Serve. Serve hot, and dip it with your favorite marinade or Alfredo sauce.
Recipe notes
- I used seasoned breadcrumbs, but you can also use crumbled biscuits, crumbled potato chips or panko breadcrumbs.
- To add flavor, add cooked, crumbled bacon chunks to the breadcrumb coating.
- Make sure you don’t buy pre-shredded packaged cheese, because it doesn’t melt like your own grated cheese.
- You can use leftover Mac N cheese for these. Just scoop the macaroni and cheese into a ball, and then continue to steps 3-5.
Alternative cooking + storage
If you don’t want to fry these, there are Other cooking methods.
- oven: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 375°F. Place the frozen Mac N Cheese balls on the pan and bake for 15 minutes.
- Air fryer: Preheat the fryer to 360°F. Put the frozen Mac N Cheese Balls into the basket of the air fryer and spray it with cooking spray. Stir-fry for 8-10 minutes.
Leftover macaroni and cheese balls can storage It can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for 1-2 months.arrive Reheat, Bake in a 400°F oven for 5-8 minutes or until heated. If frozen, heat for 10-12 minutes.
seriously? ! Look at the cheesy center! ! so good! ! ! This cheesy, delicious appetizer is definitely a new favorite, and we hope you like them as much as we do.
For more macaroni and cheese recipes, please check:
For more cheese appetizers, check out:
Course appetizer, main course
American cuisine
Preparation time 10 minutes
Cooking time 25 minutes
Refrigerate for 2 hours
Total time 2 hours 35 minutes
20 servings
Calories 387 kcal
Author Little Luna
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups of hot milk, plus 2 tablespoons of egg wash
- 1 pound grated cheddar cheese
- 1 pound grated smoked gouda
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 3 large eggs
- 4 cups seasoned breadcrumbs
- Vegetable oil for frying
- marinara or alfredo dip
-
Cook macaroni according to package instructions. Drain immediately and rinse with cold water. Drain again and set aside.
-
Melt butter in a pan over medium heat. Sprinkle with flour and stir with a whisk. Cook for 2 minutes. Stir in hot milk to remove any lumps. Cook for about 2 minutes until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat source. Add the two cheeses and stir until melted and smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Fold the macaroni, pour it into a shallow pan, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours until the macaroni is cold.
-
Shape the cold macaroni and cheese into meatball-sized balls and place them on a tray coated with wax paper. Freeze overnight.
-
Beat the eggs with 2 tablespoons of milk, then pour them into a shallow bowl. Pour the breadcrumbs into another shallow bowl. Remove the macaroni and cheese balls from the refrigerator. Dip the frozen balls into the egg mixture and then into the breadcrumbs. Repeat these steps twice for each ball. This will give it a nice thick coat. Put it back in the refrigerator until you are ready to fry.
-
Fry the coated macaroni and cheese balls for 5 minutes until golden brown and the center is hot. Serve hot, and dip it with your favorite marinade or Alfredo sauce.
Adapted from Food Network.
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