cheese balls

these cheese balls are the perfect snack, featuring a crispy shell, fluffy mashed potato inside and molten cheese middle. seasoned mashed potatoes are mixed with green onion, then wrapped around a gooey cheese center and coated in crispy breadcrumbs. fried until golden brown, these cheese balls are great as a snack, appetizer, or fun side dish that everyone will love!

these delicious cheese balls are the perfect blend of creamy mashed potatoes, zingy green onions and a melty cheese core, all encased in a delightfully crunchy, golden-brown breadcrumb coating. just One bite reveals an oozy molten cheese center surrounded by crisp potato goodness. the ultimate comfort snack!

why you will love this cheese ball recipe:

• textures – these cheese balls feature a lovely balance of crispy golden-brown coating, creamy potato filling and melty, stretchy cheese, meaning each bite is full of different textures. if you, like me, are a textures person, you will love these!!

• easy to make in advance – these cheese balls can be prepared in advance and then stored in the fridge or freezer. simply fry them up whenever you’re craving some crispy, cheesy potato goodness, or make them in advance for a dinner or party and fry them up fresh that day!

• customisable – this recipe is highly adaptable. i wanted to keep these cheese balls easy to make and classic, so i decided on a simple, seasoned potato filling with a sprinkle of green onion and then stuffed with cheese, but you can easily customise the fillings with your favourite ingredients. you can switch up the type of cheese used inside these cheese balls, or add some more spices if you’d prefer to make these cheese balls spicy. i have also made these with a chicken and potato filling, so you can customise these in a couple of different ways!

learn how to make these cheese balls:

to make these cheese balls, we need to boil potatoes until fork tender, then drain them and mash them once cool. add seasonings, green onion and cornstarch and mix everything in. stuff a square of cheese inside the potato mixture and form into balls. cover each cheese ball in flour, dip in egg and then coat with panko breadcrumbs. lastly, fry the cheese balls until golden and crisp.

cheese balls ingredients:

• potatoes – we’re going to boil potatoes until fork tender. then, drain, peel and cut them before mashing.

• seasonings – i added a mix of salt, black pepper, garlic powder, red chilli flakes, onion powder, oregano and dried parsley to these cheese balls. the seasonings can be adjusted to your taste and you can leave some of these out based on your preference.

• spring onion/green onion – i like to add just the green parts of some spring onion for a little extra freshness and flavour.

• cornstarch – cornstarch will be used to bind the mixture together and make our cheese balls extra crispy

• cheese – i opted for a combination of both mozzarella and cheddar cheese in this recipe to make these cheese balls extra cheesy, but you can use just one of these if you prefer, or any other cheese that you like.

• oil – any neutral oil with a high smoke point will work here. we’ll be using this to fry the cheese balls.

• flour – plain flour/all purpose flour will be used to coat the croquettes

• egg – we’re going to dip the croquettes in egg before coating with breadcrumbs

• breadcrumbs – i used panko breadcrumbs for this cheese ball recipe because i wanted them to be extra crispy, but any kind of breadcrumbs will work just fine.

tools:

• colander – use a colander to drain your potatoes after boiling. make sure these is no water left behind when you drain the potatoes.

• 3 wide shallow bowls – add flour, egg, and breadcrumbs in separate wide, shallow bowls to make it easier when it comes to coating and dipping the cheese balls.

• wire skimmer – lift the cheese balls out of the hot oil with a wire skimmer to drain any excess oil out.

step by step instructions

for full measurements, keep scrolling down to the recipe below.

step one: boil potatoes in water for about 10-15 minutes or until fork tender. then, drain the potatoes and let them cool. once they cool down, peel the potatoes, then cut up into small pieces.

step two: mash the potatoes until soft and fluffy.

step three: add all of the seasonings, then add cornstarch and mix into the mashed potatoes with a spoon or with your hands. add green onions and mix those in.

step four: portion out the cheese ball mixture into equal-sized portions. flatten out each cheese ball and place thin squares of cheddar cheese and a sprinkle of mozzarella cheese into the middle.

step five: close up each cheese ball, making sure there’s no cracks so that the cheese doesn’t escape.

step six: dip each cheese ball in a thin layer of flour, then dip in a beaten egg, and then coat each cheese ball in breadcrumbs. if you like, you can make a double layer of this by dipping in egg and breadcrumbs again, but i didn’t do this.

step seven: add your coated cheese balls to hot oil, then turn the heat down to medium and fry the cheese balls at medium heat for around 5-6 minutes or until they look crisp and golden brown. let them sit in the oil for around 2 minutes initially and don’t disturb them, then move the pan around a little so that all sides of the cheese balls can cook. do not overcrowd the pan, and fry in batches if necessary.

step eight: use a wire skimmer to remove the cheese balls from the hot oil. serve with your favourite dip, and let’s eat!

tips and notes

• be sure to drain the boiled potatoes until there is no water left behind. water in the potato mixture can cause the croquettes to burst in the oil.

• be sure to mash the potatoes until they’re smooth and lump-free to achieve a creamy filling. over mixing can make the potatoes gummy so bear that in mind.

• chilling the cheese balls in the fridge or freezer after shaping will help them firm up and make them easier to fry. i didn’t do this, but if you struggle with frying, this step might make things a little easier.

• make sure your oil temperature is not too high when frying the cheese balls as this can cause the outside to burn quickly without cooking the inside properly.

• before frying the cheese balls, test the oil temperature by dropping a small piece of breadcrumb into the oil. it should sizzle and float to the surface immediately without burning.

• make sure your potatoes have cooled before mashing and mixing with other ingredients. a cooler mixture will be easier to work with for this recipe. adding cheese to a hot potato mixture will make it melt, so make sure it’s cool enough to avoid any problems.

• make sure there are no cracks in your cheese balls once you have stuffed them with cheese and are shaping them into balls – you don’t want to risk any of the cheese leaking out when you’re frying them.

• if you want to make your cheese balls extra crispy, you can create a double layer of the coating by dipping each cheese ball in the egg and breadcrumbs twice. like this: flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs, then egg again, and then a final layer of breadcrumbs. this will also help create a thicker outer layer and prevent and cheese from leaking, which is helpful if you struggle with frying. i did not do this for this particular recipe, but i have done this in the past and they always turn out great and crispy!

• if you’re short on time or would like to make these cheese balls in advance for another day, you can prepare the potato mixture, add the cheese, coat the cheese balls in flour, egg and breadcrumbs, then store in the fridge or freezer until you’re ready to fry them up.

• when it comes to freezing these cheese balls for later use, arrange the formed, uncooked cheese balls in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or baking paper. make sure they are not touching each other to prevent them from sticking together. place the baking tray with the cheese balls in the freezer and allow them to freeze for 1-2 hours, or until they are firm to the touch – this will prevent them from clumping together when stored. then, you can transfer the frozen cheese balls to freezer-safe bags or airtight containers. whenever you want to serve them, you can fry the cheese balls straight from the freezer – just make sure to adjust cooking times to ensure that they’re heated through.

frequently asked questions

1. which potatoes are best to use in this cheese ball recipe?

   – for this cheese ball recipe, i would recommend using potatoes with a high starch content such as russet potatoes as it will be easier for these to hold shape and they will give you the best results in terms of texture, shaping and frying. yukon gold potatoes are also a good option. avoid using waxy potatoes with a lower starch content and higher moisture content, as these can make the potato mixture too wet and will be more difficult to shape.

2. can i make these cheese balls in the air fryer?

   – while i haven’t personally tried making these cheese balls in an air fryer, if this is something that you’d like to do, you can try preheating your air fryer to 190°c (375°f), then arranging the cheese balls in a single layer in the basket, making sure they are not touching. cook until golden brown and crispy, changing their sides in between. keep in mind that the texture and crispiness might be different when making these in an air fryer.

3. how do i know when the cheese balls are done frying?

   – you’ll know that the cheese balls are done frying when they look golden and crispy on the outside. this takes me around 5-6 minutes per batch, but do keep in mind that timings will vary depending upon the temperature of your oil and the size of your cheese balls.

4. how do i know that my oil is the right temperature for frying?

   – when making these cheese balls, it’s important that the oil is not too hot or too cold. if you don’t have a thermometer, before frying the cheese balls, test the oil temperature by dropping a small piece of breadcrumb into the oil. it should sizzle and float to the surface immediately without burning. alternatively, you can try dipping an uncoated wooden spoon into the oil – if the oil starts bubbling around the spoon, it means it’s hot enough. if the oil starts bubbling vigorously, it means that the oil is too hot.

5. can i make these cheese balls without potato?

   – the potato mixture in these cheese balls helps to hold them together, and gives them a nice fluffy texture on the inside. i haven’t personally tried making this cheese ball recipe without potato, but i’m sure you could use something like cooked, shredded chicken as the base of these for a snack with a little bit more protein.

6. what dipping sauces go well with these cheese balls?

   – you can serve these potato croquettes with a variety of dipping sauces. some classic options that would go well include ketchup, aioli, sour cream and chive, or garlic mayo. these cheese balls are also great just on their own!

7. can i make these cheese balls without breadcrumbs?

   – breadcrumbs give these cheese balls a classic crispy coating, but you can absolutely make them without breadcrumbs if that’s what you’d prefer. you can swap out the breadcrumbs with any other kind of crunchy coating like crushed crackers, crushed crisps/potato chips, or even crushed cornflakes.

8. can i make these cheese balls without egg?

   – you can make these cheese balls without egg by using a flour/cornstarch and milk mix in place of egg. simply add flour or cornstarch and milk together until it becomes thick, but not too thick, so that it’s easy enough to dip your cheese balls in. coat your cheese balls in a thin layer of flour, then dip in the flour/cornstarch and milk mix, and then coat in breadcrumbs.

9. can i make these cheese balls without cornstarch?

   i use a small amount of cornstarch in this cheese ball recipe to help bind the mixture together. if you don’t have cornstarch or would prefer not to use it, some alternatives that can be used instead include: plain flour/all purpose flour, potato starch or rice flour. just use equal amounts of any of these in place of the cornstarch. there may be some differences in texture but otherwise, any of these options will work just fine.

10. can i make these cheese balls from leftover mashed potatoes?

    – yes, these cheese balls can be made from leftover mashed potatoes. just make sure your mashed potatoes are fairly thick, then add any extra ingredients or seasonings you’d like to add before forming them into balls.

11. can you make cheese balls ahead of time?

    – yes, you can make these cheese balls ahead of time. simply form your cheese balls, coat them in flour, egg and breadcrumbs, and then place in the fridge or freezer until ready to fry. if you’re making them more than one day ahead of time, i would suggest placing these in the freezer rather than the fridge.

12. can i add other ingredients to this cheese ball recipe?

    – yes, you can absolutely add any other extra ingredients that you’d like to the filling of these cheese balls. you can add extra seasonings, add some extra protein such as chicken, and you can add ingredients like jalapeños or different kinds of vegetables.

recipe