Fried Mac And Cheese Bites Are The Best Way To Liven Up Leftovers

When the potluck or family barbecue is over, do you find yourself looking at all of the leftovers and thinking, "What now?" Finding yourself with a big bowl of leftover mac and cheese from any occasion can feel like waste in the making — though it may be the world's greatest food, leftover mac and cheese isn't always as satisfying as the freshly made kind. So if you are looking for a way to put those leftovers to good use in a tasty and expeditious way, look no further than fried mac and cheese bites.

A staple of street food fare and the Trader Joe's freezer aisle alike, fried mac and cheese bites are the ultimate next-day method of livening up your leftovers. Take your leftover mac and cheese and roll little balls of the mixture. Next, coat the balls in beaten egg and then the breadcrumbs of your choice. Finally, deep fry the bites until golden brown. This easier-than-easy method transforms an easily forgotten leftover into a totally new dish that'll surely not go to waste. Use Tasting Table's mac and cheese recipe guide to settle on an initial recipe, then get excited for the second-day payoff.

As successful as this method is, there may be aspects of this leftover cure that you'd like to address. For instance, what happens when the mac and cheese is too dry to roll together into balls? A quick fix for a too-dry mixture is to add just a little bit of melted Velveeta cheese or homemade cheese sauce into the fold to help the bites retain their shape and moisture once fried.

Flavor can also be another way to innovate when handling these leftovers. If cheesy fried goodness alone isn't cutting it for you, try adding some green chiles to the mixture before you fry the balls. Caramelized onions are another way to add a dimension of sweetness and tang to otherwise one-note mac and cheese bites. Using Tasting Table's foolproof caramelized onions recipe will deliver top-notch caramelized onions if your leftovers crave a bit of TLC. Or if you want to literally spice them up, try adding some garlic powder, mustard powder, and salt to your mac mix to up the wattage of each bite. Once you've settled on how to transform those leftovers, select a dipping sauce (perhaps by perusing this Tasting Table dipping sauce guide) for a supreme mac and cheese bite spread.