Turn leftover mac and cheese into crispy, golden, homemade Mac and Cheese Bites! You can cook them in an air fryer, bake them in the oven, or pan fry them on the stove. The breading on the outside is crispy and flavorful, while the inside is filled with creamy, cheesy mac and cheese. This easy recipe is freezer-friendly and perfect for an afternoon snack, appetizer or game day party food!
Grab 2-3 tablespoons of the mac and cheese, form it into a ball and place it on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Repeat until you’ve made 15 mac and cheese balls.
Place the baking sheet of mac and cheese balls in the freezer for 30 minutes.
In the meantime, prepare the breading station.
Combine the flour and salt in a shallow bowl.
In another shallow bowl, whisk the four large eggs together.
In a third shallow bowl, combine the panko breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning.
After 30 minutes in the freezer, roll each ball of mac and cheese in the flour mixture, then dip it in the egg.
Once it’s fully covered in the egg, allow any excess to drip off before transferring the mac and cheese ball to the bowl of breadcrumbs. Roll the mac and cheese in the breadcrumbs until it’s fully coated, then dip the mac and cheese back into the egg wash.
Add it back into the breadcrumb mixture and press down gently on all sides to make sure the mac and cheese is fully covered in the breadcrumbs.
Transfer the breaded mac and cheese ball back to the rimmed baking sheet, then repeat with all of the remaining mac and cheese balls.
Once all of the mac and cheese balls are breaded, either cook them in the air fryer, oven, or pan fry them. Or transfer them to a freezer-safe zipper bag, date and label the bag, then place it back in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Cook them in an air fryer.
Add the mac and cheese bites to an air fryer basket in a single layer, making sure there’s room around each mac and cheese bite for the air to circulate.
Spray them with cooking spray, then cook at 400°F for 5 minutes.
Open the air fryer, flip the mac and cheese bites, spray with cooking spray and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
Cook them in the oven.
Preheat the oven to 425°F, on the convection setting, if available.
Place the mac and cheese bites on a wire rack, on top of a foil-lined baking sheet. Spray with cooking spray.
Bake in the preheated oven for 12-14 minutes, or until the outside of the mac and cheese balls are golden brown. Because you’re cooking them on a wire rack, you don’t need to flip them throughout the cooking process. If you’re cooking them directly on a baking sheet, I recommend flipping them halfway through the cooking time.
Pan fry them on the stove.
Heat 2 inches of canola or vegetable oil in a large skillet on the stove over medium-high heat.
Once the oil is hot, add the mac and cheese bites to the skillet, 6-8 at a time so you don’t overcrowd the skillet.
Cook the mac and cheese bites for 2-3 minutes per side, or until browned on all sides. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and place on a wire rack, over a stack of paper towels. This way any remaining grease will drain through the wire rack and onto the paper towels, to keep the outside of the mac and cheese bites super crispy!
Repeat until you’ve cooked all of the mac and cheese bites.
Notes
Don’t skip the step of freezing the mac and cheese balls before breading them! This step is essential to keeping the mac and cheese together while you bread it.
Make sure the mac and cheese is completely cooled before making this recipe. The mac and cheese will not stick together to form balls if it’s still warm.
Always bread the mac and cheese bites in the egg and breadcrumb mixture TWICE! This ensures that the mac and cheese is fully coated and will not melt out of the breading while it cooks.
When breading the mac and cheese balls, always use one hand for the wet ingredients and one hand for the dry ingredients. This will prevent clumping, keep your hands from becoming coated in the breading, and it will help keep the breading ingredients separated.
Store uncooked breaded mac and cheese balls in a freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to 3 months. To cook them, simply follow any of the instructions in this post to air fry, pan fry or cook them in the oven. They will cook in the same time whether you’ve just breaded them, or they’ve been frozen for a few weeks.
Store cooked leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat them in the air fryer at 400°F for 2-3 minutes to keep them crispy. Or in the oven at 425°F for 3 minutes.