Fried Mac and Cheese Recipe (2024)

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Christin Mahrlig

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This TGI Friday’s Fried Mac and Cheese copycat takes mac and cheese to a new level. Creamy and cheesy with a crispy coating.

Fried Mac and Cheese Recipe (2)
Fried Mac and Cheese Recipe (3)

What’s better than mac and cheese? Mac and cheese fried until golden and crispy. This definitely isn’t a food you’d want to eat often. But if you’re hosting a football party and want a food to impress, you’ll have people talking about these mac and cheese balls and maybe even fighting over the last one.

Fried Mac and Cheese Recipe (4)

This recipe is based off of Todd Wilbur’s Fried Mac and Cheese TGI Friday’s copycat recipe and it has multiple stages so you’ll want to plan in advance. But it is so good, you won’t regret the time spent on it.

Fried Mac and Cheese Recipe (5)

Homemade mac and cheese is chilled to firm it up and then shaped into balls. Once the balls are formed, they are frozen for a few hours. Next they are coated in flour, dipped in an egg mixture, and coated with breadcrumbs. Then it’s back into the egg mixture and into the breadcrumbs a second time. Once fully coated it’s best to let them sit at room temperature for 10 minutes or so to thaw some. Otherwise you risk the outside browning before the middle parts gets warm.

Fried Mac and Cheese Recipe (6)

A little cheese sauce is drizzled on top for a finishing touch. If you really wanted to take this fried mac and cheese over the top, you could add bacon.

Fried Mac and Cheese Recipe (7)
Fried Mac and Cheese Recipe (8)

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More Fried Foods We Love:

  • Fried Jalapeno Popper Bites
  • Deep Fried Jalapeno Slices
  • Beer Battered Fried Pickles
  • Fried Asparagus

Fried Mac and Cheese Recipe (9)

Fried Mac and Cheese

This TGI Friday’s Fried Mac and Cheese copycat takes mac and cheese to a new level. Creamy and cheesy with a crispy coating.

PREP: 3 hours hrs

COOK: 30 minutes mins

TOTAL: 3 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

SERVINGS: 16

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Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1 cup milk
  • 4 ounces shredded medium cheddar
  • 4 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • pinch of cayenne pepper
  • 1 3/4 to 2 cups cooked elbow macaroni, cooked to al dente
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups plain bread crumbs
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 6 to 10 cups vegetable oil
  • pizza sauce for serving

Instructions

  • In a small saucepan, whisk together 1 cup milk and 2 tablespoons flour. Place over medium-low heat.

  • Add cheeses, butter, 1/4 teaspoon salt, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper. Stir until cheese melts. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.

  • Set aside 2 tablespoons of the sauce to drizzle over the fried mac and cheese balls.

  • Add cooked macaroni to the rest of the cheese sauce, stirring well. Taste for seasoning and add a little more salt if desired.

  • Pour mixture into a greased 8×8-inch pan. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Too much longer and it will be hard to shape into balls.

  • Use a small ice cream scoop to form balls. You will need to use your hands some to shape them. You should get about 16 balls. Place in a baking pan lined with wax paper and freeze for about 2 hours.

  • Whisk together egg and one cup of milk in a bowl.

  • Place one cup of flour in a bowl.

  • Combine bread crumbs and 1 teaspoon salt in a third bowl.

  • One at a time coat ball in flour, then in egg mixture. Coat with bread crumb mixture, then back in egg mixture and 1 more time in bread crumbs. Let balls sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes, while you heat up the oil. You want them to thaw some so that they will get warm all the way through.

  • Heat oil to 350 degrees. Fry 4 to 5 balls at a time, for 2 to 3 minutes, until golden brown.

  • Drain on paper towels. If desired, place them in a 200 degree oven to keep warm.

  • Heat the 2 tablespoons of cheese sauce that was set aside. Place in a plastic bag. Snip the corner and drizzle over mac and cheese balls.

  • Serve warm with pizza sauce.

Nutrition

Calories: 205kcal

Author: Christin Mahrlig

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Keyword: fried, mac and cheese

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Originally Published Aug 20,2015.

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Recipe adapted from: Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 3: The Secret Formulas for Duplicating Your Favorite Restaurant Dishes at HomeFried Mac and Cheese Recipe (10)

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Fried Mac and Cheese Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What to add to mac and cheese to make it better? ›

8 Ways to Elevate Your Macaroni and Cheese Dinners
  1. Add extra cheese to your dish.
  2. Mix in some hot sauce and chicken to make buffalo chicken mac n' cheese.
  3. Add in vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower and spinach.
  4. Sprinkle some bacon bits or breadcrumbs on the top of your dish.
  5. Add spices and fresh herbs to your dish.
May 21, 2022

Why is my mac and cheese not creamy? ›

This is due to the pasta absorbing more liquid over time, and the sauce itself becoming more “solid” as it cools. So, to ensure a creamy mac and cheese, make the sauce just a little looser than you think it needs to be. (Add more milk, a tablespoon at a time to adjust the consistency).

What does adding more milk to mac and cheese do? ›

Sauce too thick? Stir in a splash of milk and mix until the sauce has loosened up. (This is also a great trick for reheating mac and cheese - if you're microwaving leftovers and the sauce seems to have dried up, stir a splash of milk or half-and-half into the pasta to bring the sauce back to life!)

How does Gordon Ramsay make the best mac and cheese? ›

Preparation
  1. In a large pot over medium heat, combine the pasta and milk. ...
  2. Once the pasta is cooked, remove the pan from the heat and add the butter, cheddar cheese, salt, and pepper. ...
  3. Divide between serving bowls and top with the bread crumbs.
  4. Enjoy!
  5. All your favorite recipes, stored in one place.
May 4, 2023

What not to do when making mac and cheese? ›

The 5 Biggest Mac & Cheese Mistakes
  1. Using Only Cheddar cheese. Because macaroni and cheese is English in origin, you might be tempted to make it with only cheddar cheese. ...
  2. Not Adding Spice and Seasoning with Salt. The flavor of the cheese is enhanced with spice. ...
  3. Choosing the Wrong Pasta. ...
  4. Overcooking. ...
  5. Skimping on the Toppings.
May 21, 2020

How do you make mac and cheese creamy again? ›

The #1 secret to creamy reheated mac and cheese

"Stir in about 2 Tbs. of milk per 1 cup of mac and cheese and reheat," he says. The milk loosens up the pasta and helps create the creamy sauce as it's reheating. Heavy cream works well in this case too and adds an extra touch of richness to the mac and cheese.

What thickens mac and cheese? ›

Both the flour and the cheese help thicken the sauce.

Why is evaporated milk better for mac and cheese? ›

Evaporated milk is a highly concentrated source of milk protein micelles—bundles of proteins that can act as powerful emulsifying agents—which help to keep the sauce creamy and smooth.

What happens if you add more butter to mac and cheese? ›

The result will be a bowl of mac and cheese that is so rich and creamy that you may even forget that it came from a box. If you're worried about leaving out the milk entirely, then you can simply lessen the amount of milk the box calls for and up the amount of butter, which should give you a similar result.

What happens if you put too much cheese in mac and cheese? ›

Can you put too much cheese in mac and cheese? Yes, adding more cheese than a recipe calls for will not improve the dish. Too much cheese will result in a dish that is heavy and greasy.

What are the 3 best cheeses for mac and cheese? ›

What Is the Best Cheese for Mac and Cheese? Sharp cheddar is the overwhelming popular choice, but for extra-creamy results, we think medium cheddar is even better. Other delicious options include Gruyère, smoked Gouda, and Monterey Jack.

What's in Bob Evans mac and cheese? ›

Cooked Enriched Pasta (Water, Elbow Macaroni [Semolina (Wheat), Niacin, Iron (Ferrous Sulfate), Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid]), Milk, Water, Pasteurized Process Cheese Spread (American Cheese [Pasteurized Milk, Cheese Culture, Salt, Enzymes], Water, Whey, Sodium Phosphate, Contains Less than 2% of ...

Which franchise has the best mac and cheese? ›

At its best, KFC's mac and cheese is one of the most impressively flavorful around. It doesn't just taste cheesy — its cheesiness has layers. Sharpness, milkiness, and even a subtle smokiness are all present in the best bowls.

How do you increase the flavor of cheese in mac and cheese? ›

Boil it better

Skip the draining step, and add more milk as the noodles cook, if needed. Once al dente, stir in an extra 1 cup of shredded cheese and voila: less powdered cheese flavor, more homemade vibes and a hint of cheesy goodness infused right into the macaroni itself.

What goes well with homemade mac and cheese? ›

  • 1 / 25. Roasted Broccoli. Perfectly seasoned broccoli florets roasted until crisp and caramelized. ...
  • 2 / 25. Garlic Green Beans. ...
  • 3 / 25. Glazed Carrots. ...
  • 4 / 25. Easy Sautéed Spinach. ...
  • 5 / 25. Easy 10-Minute Garlic Broccolini. ...
  • 6 / 25. 5-Ingredient Kale Caesar Salad. ...
  • 7 / 25. Shaved Brussels Sprouts. ...
  • 8 / 25. Spanakopita Kale Salad.

Why add sour cream to mac and cheese? ›

The trick to making the perfect French onion boxed mac and cheese is to swap out the milk and butter for sour cream. It has the same velvety richness as butter but with a pleasant tang. Plus, while it gets the same job done as the milk, it's a hundred times creamier, making the end result impossibly luscious.

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