Pete's Mac & Cheese Bites


"Too many people spend money they haven't earned, to buy things they don't want, to impress people they don't like."
- Will Rogers


Recipe courtesy of
Pete Oberosler
Bites:
  • 1 lb Ditalini pasta
  • 16 oz sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1-1/4 cups half & half
  • 2-1/4 cups heavy cream
  • 6 tbsp butter
  • 1/3 cup flour
  • 1-1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
  • pepper to taste

    		•  Topping:
  • 1 cup Tempura batter mix
  • 3/4 cup cold soda water
  • 1-1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
  • 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

    • For Cooking:
  • 1 gallon Canola oil


    • Shred the sharp cheddar cheese. Melt butter in large sauce pan, add flour, whisk & stir while lightly cooking to make your roux. Add shredded cheese to roux, stir & continue cooking over a low heat for your cheese sauce.

    Boil the Ditalini pasta until done. Drain [but do not rinse], then pour a little olive oil into pasta and stir well to coat. Spread pasta onto a cookie sheet to cool. When pasta has cooled, add the cheese sauce and mix well in a large bowl. Cover bowl with saran wrap and place in refrigerator for several hours or overnight to firm up.

    When ready to form bites [or balls] . . . remove mac & cheese from refrigerator; then form 1 oz. balls of mac & cheese. After you pack your mac & cheese into balls, slightly squeeze the top and bottom down to form a fat tire look - this will aid in the cooking process, so it cooks evenly. Place the balls/fat tires onto a cookie sheet, lined with parchment paper.

    Topping: Mix the Tempura batter mix with cold soda water in a small bowl. Mix the Panko bread crumbs with the Parmesan cheese and place in a shallow dish near the batter. Dip your chilled Mac & Cheese bites first into the Tempura batter, then lightly roll them into the Panko/Parmesan bread crumbs to coat well. Place your newly coated Mac & Cheese bites onto a cookie sheet, lined with parchment paper. When you have prepared all your bites [approx. 40], you are now ready to cook them.

    cooking: Pour 1 gallon [approx] Canola oil into a deep fryer, and begin heating to 360 degrees. When oil is hot, gently lower 2-3 coated Mac & Cheese bites into the fryer, one at a time, so they don't stick together. Fry for a couple of minutes and then turn them over to continue browning. When they look lightly browned, remove immediately and place onto a serving dish, covered with paper towels to absorb any excess oil.

    Serve while still warm, along with a good sauce of your choice . . . spaghetti sauce, or ranch dressing, or whatever you like.

    Serves 8 [approximately]

    Makes 40 bites [approximately]
    1 bite = 13 carbs

    Yum . . . very delicious.





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