Tuesday's Taste of Dairy: Macaroni and Cheese Balls

I kicked off June Dairy Month having fun and eating delicious dairy recipes at the Arkansas Farm Bureau Dairy Foods contest.     James Martin of Ward, Arkansas, won first place in the Party Idea category with Macaroni and Cheese Balls.  From his excellent preparation technique, it was obvious that he has prepared this many times for his family and enjoyed sharing his recipe with us.


Macaroni and Cheese Balls

Ingredients:

4 quarts water
1 tsp. salt,divided
2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
1/4 cup milk
8 ounces Velveeta cheese,cubed
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated jalapeno cheese
1/2 tsp. black pepper
4 large eggs
2 cups Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
1/2 cup cornmeal
Canola oil for frying

Directions:

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Grate and cube chesses as noted above.
In a large saucepan, bring water and 1/2 tsp. salt to boil; add pasta and cook 6-8 minutes, drain well.

In a large bowl, combine hot cooked pasta, milk,
Velveeta cheese, mozzarella cheese, jalapeno cheese,1/2 tsp. salt, and pepper. Stir until cheese is melted.
Shape into small balls (size is individual preference, I like 11/2 -2 inch) and place on lined baking sheet. Put in freezer for 1 1/2 -2 hours.

In a small bowl, combine breadcrumbs and cornmeal. In another small bowl, whisk eggs. Dip balls into egg mixture, and then dredge in breadcrumb mixture.

In a large pot, pour oil to a depth of 2 inches and heat to 350 degrees. Fry mac and cheese balls in batches, 3-5 minutes or until golden brown. Remove with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

Serve with Marinara sauce or any sauce you like. Makes approximately 24 balls.