Ingredients
Method
- Fill a large pot with water and bring to a rolling boil. Don't forget to salt the water. Add Elbow pasta to the pot and stir for about 10 seconds to make sure it doesn't stick to the bottom. Cook for about 7 minutes or per package directions. Once they are done, drain them and set aside.
- Create and roux with the butter and flour. Don't know what that is? fancy word us master chef's use. It's just flour and fat mixed to together to thicken sauces, kind of like me (fat) and my wife (flower). Basically you melt the butter over medium high heat, then add the flour and whisk until it starts to bubble. Then add milk slowly while you whisk. Once the milk is gone add the Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder, and Cayenne Pepper. Bring everything to a boil, then turn down the heat to a simmer and let it cook for 2 or so minutes.
- Mix in 1/2 of each kind of cheese to the pot. It will start to get really thick. You could also just use one kind of cheese to make this easier. I used four because i'm 100.
- Add in about half of the cooked elbow pasta. Mix it up nice and good...I know, you want to skip the rest and just start stuffing your face right now, but try to restrain yourself. Add in the rest of the portions of cheese along with the rest of the elbow pasta. Mix it up again. You will probably still be able to see some of the cheese strands that didn't completely melt. It's ok.
- Spread out on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Then dump the creamy load of mac and cheese onto the cookie sheet and spread it out. Then cover it with something and stick it in the fridge overnight. See, I told you there would be some prep, but trust me, it's worth it.
- When you are ready to cook these bad boys the next night go ahead and get the oil heating up in a pan. Make sure to put enough oil in so you can submerge these things. I have a deep fat fryer but the oil needs to be changed. So we filled up a pot and made it in that. Setup your dredging station of panko bread crumbs and eggs. (whisk the eggs in the bowl.) I'd also recommend using a little milk with the eggs.
- Once the oil has reached 360°F ....wait, who the heck has a thermometer for oil. I didn't, I have one for food. So I just turned the heat on the stove up to 7 and tried frying off a few crumbs of panko to see if it was ready. Seemed legit.
- Start making those little balls of deliciousness. You can use an ice cream or cookie scoop, but I found that my hands do the job just fine, or my wife hands did. She rolled the balls up and they looked magnificent.
- Once they are all rolled up in 2 inch or 3 inch balls, dip them into the eggs (you, not your wife), then into the bread crumbs and into the oil. Cook them for about 3 to 4 minutes or if you were like me and the oil was way to hot they cooked in like a minute.
- Pull them out of the oil and let them cool on a paper towel for a minute or so. Now, stuff your face and feel guilty.
- If it's just the two of you, there will be some extra. Don't cook them all. Bread them up and put in a plastic bag and stick in the freezer to feel guilty another day.
Notes
The total cost should be around 12 bucks. I didn't include the stuff like eggs, flower, butter, and the spices. You should have those. The meal becomes cheaper if you buy un-shredded cheese, which I recommend. It also becomes cheaper if you buy just one cheese. It's really up to you. It makes enough to have this for 2 separate nights. We also recommend a dipping sauce. We used ranch, but you can find something fancy if you want.
Wife Rating: 9
Husband Rating: 9