The Scoop
Is it even a real celebration if you didn’tspend two hours cleaning a semi-chaotic kitchen first?
Tell your inner perfectionist to take a backseat, because these deep-fried mac and cheese Magic Balls are worth every single dish you’ll have to wash later.
They combine a rich, gooey center with a violently crunchy potato chip crust that will satisfy every single craving you didn't know you had. They are guaranteed to impress your friends at your next casual get-together, and honestly, you deserve a medal just for making them from scratch.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces elbow macaroni
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided
- 1 1/4 cups whole milk
- 1 (8-ounce) package sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 (8-ounce) package pepper jack cheese, shredded
- 1 (4-ounce) jar diced pimentos, drained and rinsed, patted dry
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 12 ounces kettle-cooked potato chips, finely crushed
- 3 large eggs
- vegetable oil, to taste
Directions
- Cook the macaroni according to the package directions.
- Drain and rinse the macaroni.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.
- Add 1 tablespoon of the flour to the melted butter and cook, constantly stirring with a whisk, for 1 minute.
- Whisk in the milk in a slow, steady stream and cook until the mixture reaches a low boil and thickens, about 3-4 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to low and stir in the cheddar and the pepper jack, mixing until melted.
- Add the pimientos, the salt, and the cayenne pepper, stirring to combine.
- Fold in the macaroni.
- Spread the macaroni mixture evenly into a 9x13-inch pan.
- Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold, about 2 hours.
- Shape the cold macaroni mixture into 2-inch balls, placing the balls on a parchment-lined sheet tray.
- Pour the crushed chips into a shallow dish.
- In a separate shallow dish, place the remaining flour.
- In another separate, shallow dish, crack and whisk the eggs.
- Roll each macaroni ball in the flour and then in the egg, letting the excess egg drip off.
- Roll the egg-coated macaroni balls in the potato chips, firmly pressing the chips into the balls to form a solid crust.
- Return the potato-chip-coated balls to the baking sheet.
- In a Dutch oven or a large pot, heat the oil to 350 degrees F.
- In batches of up to 6 balls at a time, fry the balls until golden-brown and hot in the center, about 4-5 minutes.
- Drain the cooked balls on paper towels.
- Serve warm.
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