Are you thinking of having a get-together soon, but struggling with what to make for snacks and appetizers? We get it.
You want something that’s going to be rave-worthy and delicious, but you don’t want it to be too complex and require every ingredient in your kitchen.
Well, we think we’ve found the perfect recipe for you- fried potato cheese balls!
Now, at first sight, this recipe might look a little intimidating to some, but we can assure you- it’s far easier than it looks.
Thankfully, you don’t just have to take our word for it. A YouTube video by How Tasty walks you through the entire process in less than 7 mouthwatering minutes.
The result? Party food that your friends and family will be begging for over and over again.
Here’s what you’ll need to get started:
- 3 large Gold or Red potatoes (roughly 1 lb)
- 3 1/2 oz. Mozzarella cheese (solid, not shredded)
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
- Fresh ground salt and pepper
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups seasoned breadcrumbs (homemade are best)
- Paprika (mixed in with the bread crumbs)
This recipe will make roughly 25 potato cheese balls.
The first thing you’ll do is take your potatoes and peel them.
Soak each peeled potato in water as you move on to peel the next.
Once they’re all peeled, you will go ahead and cut them up into large chunks. Then, put them in a pot full of water with a little bit of salt and boil them until fork tender- between 15 to 20 minutes.
As you boil your potatoes, slice your mozzarella cheese into 1/2″ thick ovals.
Then, cut each of these until all of the mozzarella is cut into small 1/2″ cubes. They should look something like this:
When your cheese is all cubed, lay it between two paper towels, and gently press them to expel any excess moisture.
By now, your potatoes should be about done. If they’re easily poked with a fork, go ahead and strain them and place them into a bowl. Grab your potato ricer and press the boiled potatoes through it into a separate bowl.
Note: if you don’t own a ricer, just mash them up thoroughly until they are of a smooth consistency and there are no lumps.
Next, take a cheese grater and hold it over the bowl with the potatoes while you grate your parmesan rigiht on top of it. Season with salt and pepper.
Once the parmesan cheese and seasonings have been added to the potatoes, mix it all together until everything is well incorporated.
When you’re done mixing, your potatoes should look like this:
Now it’s time to make your cheese balls!
Scoop out about a tablespoon of potato into your hands and roll it around into a ball. Then pat it slightly to form it into a small patty.
When you’ve got one, use your thumb to make a small indent right in the middle, but don’t press so deep that you poke a hole through the potato patty.
After you’ve got your indentation, take one cheese cube and place it in the center.
Then, fold up the sides of the potato patty around the cube and press to seal it together. Roll it between your hands until it forms into a nice, round ball shape.
Set it aside on a platter lined with parchment paper and repeat the process until all of your cheese cubes are gone.
Now it’s time to give them their beautiful bread crust.
Take each potato ball and repeat this quick 5-step process:
- dredge (cover) in flour
- dip in egg
- roll in bread crumb
- dip back in egg
- roll in bread crumbs
Now you want to heat your cooking oil to 350°F.
If you don’t have a thermometer handy, test your oil by tossing in a chunk of white bread. It should turn a crispy golden brown within about 30 seconds.
Once your oil is up to temp, gently drop in your potato cheese balls one at a time.
It’s recommended to do this step in small batches of 2-3 to make it more manageable and to keep any of them from burning.
Gently move the potato cheese balls around as they cook to get an even brown on all sides.
Once they’ve reached that perfect golden brown color, remove them with a wide-mouthed slotted spoon.
Place them on folded paper towels to drain.
Once all the excess oil has drained off, place them out on a platter with your favorite dipping sauce (you can’t go wrong with some marinara) and they’re ready to serve!
Get the complete tutorial with step-by-step instructions over at How Tasty.
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