This week kicks off the Iowa State Fair, and to pay homage to all fair foods that are dipped, fried, stuffed, and put on sticks, let’s make some County Fair Style Fried Mac & Cheese Bites! (Here’s the schedule for the Iowa State Fair.)
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One summer, my parents took us to the Neshoba County Fair in Mississippi. My father hails from Mississippi, and he was an expert guide. This fair HUGE. Let’s just say you can smell the food from the parking areas! It’s like the mecca of tailgates!
I am hooked on fair food: anything fried and put on a stick makes me smile! Cooking copycat county fair style foods makes our whole home smell wonderful- it’s game day food all year!
County Fair Style Fried Mac & Cheese Bites: The Playbook
- Nacho – Nacho cheese, naturally!
- Gouda – A marinara sauce compliments this beautifully!
- Lobster – Alfredo dipping sauce is delish!
The Fried Lobster Mac & Cheese Bites would be ideal for casual cocktails on Friday night and even New Year’s Eve!
Ok, nothing screams county fair like fried food on a stick!
Hello there, Fried Nacho Cheese Mac & Cheese Bites!
Nacho Fried Cheese Mac & Cheese Bites are full of nacho flavor but are not too spicy. I added crushed tortilla chips into the Panko breadcrumb mixture for an added a nacho crunch. For a side dipping sauce, I used the leftover commercial nacho cheese sauce and topped it with jalapeno peppers.
For those with a more discriminating taste, I suggest Smoke Gouda Fried Mac & Cheese Bites. These would pair nicely with a funnel cake dessert. 🙂 If you are like me and want to bang out those chicken and waffles, funnel cakes or churros for your friends and family, I suggest using LouAna Peanut Oil. You’ll have full flavor food every time you cook. Growing up in the south, I’m a little picky with my fried foods, and LouAna Peanut Oil always comes thru!
Here’s why: Peanut oil has a high smoke point, which creates a surface seal locking in the food’s natural moisture. It allows the steam to cook the food from the inside out. We use a deep fryer like this one
The result? Just look at this golden, delicate, crispy outside crust and creamy smoked gouda center. Ohhhh…these are DIVINE! Crunch, crispy perfection.
Growing up, I spent a lot of time with my grandmother in her Calhoun County, Alabama kitchen. She was an outstanding southern cook, and made my favorite food ever at LEAST twice a week: fried okra. Yes, even as a 5 year old, I wanted fried okra! I could eat it night and day. Fast forward twenty years or so. As a newlywed, I wanted to recreate my favorite childhood dish for my new husband. Seriously, he needed to be introduced to this southern delicacy!
The first time I tried to make fried okra, it was an epic fail! Panicking, I immediately called Mymomma (her granny name!) to figure out how ALL of her fried foods turned out so well time and time again. Aside from sharing family recipes, she also told me this tip: use a quality cooking oil for frying and select one that adapts to high heat frying.
Like many other cooks, I turned to LouAna Oils and have used them ever since. For over 120 years, LouAna has been crafting the most trusted cooking oils in the country. With over 14 different types of cooking oils, I know I can always find the perfect oil no matter what I am cooking. I use it in baking, deep frying or sauteing. It is a staple in my pantry; it helps me put fabulous dishes on the table each and every day!
How To Make
County Fair Style Fried Mac & Cheese Bites: Nacho, Gouda & Lobster
In 1820, Lou Ana was born in Opelousas, Louisiana. Like many other southern towns, food is an elemental expression of love, flavor and family in Opelousas! Now, grab your oil and let’s make our county fair copycat food!
It’s easier than you think to make these golden nuggets of yumminess!
First, make sure you freeze the prepared mac & cheese. This is such a critical step in the recipe! If you try to bread and fry them when the mac & cheese is warm or at room temperature, the result will be a bite that is not tightly formed. It will literally fall apart after frying. So, freeze those bites first!
You guys. This is SO simple! Pull the pre-shaped frozen mac & cheese bites out of the freezer. Dip in egg, then roll in breadcrumbs. Next, dip them into 375 degree hot oil. Voila! You have just mastered County Fair Style Mac & Cheese Bites: Nacho, Gouda & Lobster!
If you want full flavor each time you cook, LouAna Oils are easy to find at major retailers; I purchased mine at Publix. Yes, I grabbed the LAST gallon of peanut oil! I wasn’t surprised; LouAna is the #1 Peanut Oil in the country!
Follow LouAna Oils 0n Instagram, Twitter ,or on Facebook!
LouAna is always the start of something good. Make your taste buds happy!
Oh, and make sure you fry your County Fair Style Mac & Cheese Bites: Nacho, Gouda & Lobster without craft sticks, straws, toothpicks, etc. Fry them all by themselves and add the decorative sticks once they are cooked and cooled.
Smoked Gouda Fried Mac & Cheese Bites
Ingredients
- 4 cups cooked macaroni
- 1 tbs butter
- 1 tbs flour
- 1 cup half and half (or whole milk)
- 1/2 pound white cheddar grated
- 1/2 pound smoked gouda grated
- 1/4 teaspoons salt and pepper
- 1 egg
- 1 1/2 cups seasoned Italian breadcrumbs
- 6-8 cups quality peanut oil
Instructions
Mac & Cheese Preparation
- Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and stir until mixture is smooth.
- Add half and half or whole milk to the butter mixture. Whisk continuously over medium heat until sauce just begins to bubble. Note: this may take 10-12 minutes! Make sure you stir the entire time to keep the milk from scalding. Once it begins to bubble, turn burner off but keep the pan on the eye.
- Quickly stir cheeses into bubbly milk mixture. Add salt and pepper. Stir until cheese sauce is creamy and thick. Pour prepared elbo macaroni into cheese sauce pot. Stir until cheese is thoroughly incorporated into macaroni.
- Option 1: Pour macaroni and cheese into a casserole dish and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Once chilled, scoop 1-2 inch balls of macaroni and place on a wax paper covered shallow pan. Freeze until firm. Option 2: Scoop prepared macaroni into silicon ice cube trays. Make sure you select a tray with a cube size of 1 inch (or less). Freeze until firm.
How To Fry Mac & Cheese Bites
- Remove mac and cheese bites from freezer.
- Pour peanut oil into a deep fryer or a large Dutch oven. Heat oil to 375 degrees.
- In a small bowl, whisk egg. Pour seasoned Italian breadcrumbs onto a plate.
- One at a time, take a frozen mac and cheese bite, dip into egg mixture and then coat in breadcrumbs. Repeat until all bites are coated.
- Fry 2-4 bites at a time in the hot oil. Remove when optional crispiness is achieved. Let bites cool on a paper towel lined plate or wire rack.
Fried Lobster Mac & Cheese Bites
Ingredients
- 4 cups elbo macaroni cooked, drained and cooled
- 3 split lobster tails thawed
- 1 tbs butter
- 1 tbs flour all purpose
- 1 cup half and half or whole milk
- 4 ounces Gruyere cheese shredded
- 4 ounces white or sharp cheddar shredded
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp fresh cracked pepper
- 1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs unseasoned
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place thawed lobster tails in a casserole dish and bake until tails turn red and meat is cooked. Remove from oven and place on a cutting board. When cooled, remove the meat from the shell and coarsely chop. Set aside.
- In a large sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour; whisk until mixture is smooth and lumps are removed.
- Add half and half or whole milk. Continuously stir until mixture is thick and begins to bubble. Note: Do not stop stirring! Doing so may result in scalding. This process may take as long as 12 minutes - FYI.
- Turn burner off but keep pan on the eye until. Continue to stir, and add Gruyere, Parmesan and cheddar cheeses. Stir until cheese sauce is thick and creamy. Add salt and pepper.
- Pour prepared elbo macaroni into the cheese sauce pan. Stir until thoroughly mixed. Add lobster and stir.
- Option 1: Pour macaroni and cheese into a casserole dish and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Once chilled, scoop 1 inch balls of macaroni and place on a wax paper covered shallow pan. Freeze until firm. Option 2: Spoon warm macaroni and cheese into a silicon ice cube tray. Freeze until macaroni and cheese is thoroughly frozen. Note: Use a tray with a cube size of 1 inch or less for optimal results.
How To Fry Mac and Cheese Bites
- Remove mac and cheese bites from freezer. In a small bowl, whisk egg. Pour breadcrumbs onto a plate.
- One at a time, take macaroni and cheese bites and dip them into egg wash, then roll them in breadcrumbs. Repeat until all bites are coated.
- Pour oil into a deep fryer or large Dutch oven. Heat oil to 375 degrees.
- Taking 2-4 bites at a time, submerge them into hot oil. Carefully watch them and remove when desired crispiness is achieved.
- Let cool (slightly) on a paper towel lined plate or wire rack.
- An Alfredo dipping sauce may be served alongside the Lobster Fried Mac & Cheese Bites.
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Enjoy your summer….it’s almost tailgate season!
xoxo,
Heather
SHOP THE TAILGATE!
Oh my goodness! You’ve outdone yourself Heather! So now my diet will start tomorrow because I definitely have to try each and every flavor of these Fried Mac & Cheese Bites! Holy moly!
Thanks so much,Gwynn! They are quite addictive! Have a great week! Heather