Of all the ridiculous “hey let’s fry that!” foods that popped up over the past decade or two, mac ‘n’ cheese bites is my favorite. They have the cheesy, creamy goodness of macaroni and cheese, but self-contained in a nice crunchy package. The salt in the batter and as a garnish brings out that cheese flavor even more so.

Obviously this does require some prep in advance. Give yourself an hour since these need to sit in the fridge to firm up for that long. OR if you want to be crafty, make a bunch of mac ‘n’ cheese ahead of time, stick it in the fridge, and enjoy these whenever you want at a later time! The longest part is making the original macaroni and cooling it together, so if you already have it congealed in your refrigerator, you can pop ’em out and cook up a batch in like 10 minutes flat!

Homemade Fried Mac ‘n’ Cheese Bites

• 1 box stovetop macaroni and cheese
• 1 serving fry batter
• Vegetable oil
• Salt
• Marinara Sauce (optional, for dipping)

1. Prepare macaroni and cheese according to package direction.
2. Let mac ‘n’ cheese cool after cooking for 5 minutes. After this, pack macaroni and cheese into a small to medium plastic container, so that it has a layer between 1” and 2” thick.
3. Place mac ‘n’ cheese in refrigerator (or freezer) and let cool completely so that it is cold and completely congealed together, at least 1 hour.
4. Add oil to frying pan, for a depth of about 1” and place on high heat. Remove macaroni from fridge and prepare fry batter in a large bowl.
5. When oil is hot enough for frying, begin cutting mac ‘n’ cheese into small bite-sized pieces, while taking care to not disturb it and break it apart.
6. One by one, by hand, dunk mac ‘n’ cheese bites into batter and then carefully place in oil. If macaroni starts to dislodge or fall apart, squeeze together by hand with high pressure while placing into batter.
7. Fry mac ‘n’ cheese bites on medium high heat for 3-5 minutes or until bottoms are golden brown. Flip, and repeat on this side.
8. Remove from oil using a slotted spoon and place on paper towels to pat dry and drain. Sprinkle salt on top, to taste. Serve on their own, or with warm marinara sauce for dipping.

Serves three to four people.