Ingredients
Scale
4 cups cold mac and cheese
½ cup bacon, cooked crispy and crumbled
1 cup flour
3 eggs, beaten
1.5 cups panko breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon chili powder
Instructions
- If your macaroni and cheese has been made fresh, chill in the refrigerator for a few hours before use. Stir the bacon in before chilling. If using leftovers, remove them from the fridge and gently stir in bacon.
- Using a cookie scoop or small ice cream scoop, form 1 ½ inch balls out of the macaroni and cheese.
- Prepare your breading station: place flour in a shallow dish and eggs in a separate dish. Combine bread crumbs, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, paprika, and chili powder in a separate dish and stir well.
- Begin breading the mac and cheese balls. Dredge the ball in flour, then roll it in the egg. Once the ball is completely coated in egg, do the same with the panko mixture, pressing down as necessary to make the breadcrumbs stick.
- Once all of the macaroni balls are breaded, place them on a baking tray and transfer them to the freezer for 30 minutes.
- Preheat air fryer to 350°F.
- Once the mac and cheese balls are finished freezing, lay them in a single layer in the air fryer basket.
- Cook in the preheated air fryer for 5 minutes, then flip. Continue air frying for another 5 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
- Remove from the air fryer and enjoy with your favorite dipping sauce.