Potato Cheese Balls
Potato cheese balls are boiled potatoes mashed with freshly grated cheese, sandwich bread, cornstarch and seasoning, formed into bite-sized nuggets and fried till golden brown. Covered in panko if you want extra crispy potato cheese balls. I eat mine dipped in chipotle mayo. Easy to make once you have cooked potatoes ready to go.
Author’s Notes
I Really, Really Like Potatoes
These are easy to make once you boil your potatoes and everything gets mixed up. If you love potatoes, you’re really gonna love this recipe.
I really love potatoes any way. It could be mashed. It could be baked. I really, really like potatoes.
You could even do this into fries. You can flatten out your dough, cut it up into long strips and fry them as fries. Serve them with your favorite dipping sauce. I have a chipotle mayo that I really like, but you can do ketchup, you can do spicy ketchup.
Miguel
What You’ll Need for Potato Cheese Balls
| Ingredient | Notes |
|---|---|
| Russet potatoes | Four medium sized potatoes. Peel them and boil them. |
| Cheese | About a cup freshly grated. Use whatever cheese you prefer. |
| Sandwich bread | Two slices. The binder! We’ll get to that. |
| Egg | One egg which will also go in after the mixture chills. |
| Cornstarch | Couple tablespoons to help everything hold together. |
| Potato seasoning | Your favorite kind. Or just salt and pepper. |
| Panko breadcrumbs | Optional but recommended for extra crispy cheese balls. |
| Oil | Vegetable or canola for frying. About a half inch of oil in a shallow pan. |
Find exact measurements in the recipe card below.
Why I Use Bread Instead of Breadcrumbs
Most recipes will have you use breadcrumbs. I like to use two slices of sandwich bread instead. The trick is dunking the bread in water and squeezing it out before adding it to the potato mixture.
It’s all about texture. Breadcrumbs pull moisture out of the potatoes and you end up with something that’s kind of dense and grainy. Wet bread does the opposite. It distributes the moisture evenly through the mixture instead of pulling it out of one spot, so everything stays consistent. Once mashed it practically disappears into the potatoes and results in a fluffy interior instead of a packed one. The texture of the bread is handling all the binder work without drying anything out.
Dunk the slices into water and pull them back out. Don’t soak the bread. Squeeze as much water out as you can and then chop it up before adding to the bowl.
How I Made These Potato Cheese Balls
Boil potatoes till fork tender. Drain them and then drop them into a large bowl.
While the potatoes are boiling dunk the bread slices in water. Then squeeze the water out and chop into small pieces.
Mash potatoes. Stir in the wet bread cubes, freshly grated cheese, cornstarch and your favorite potato seasoning.
If the potato mixture is too hot to handle put it in the fridge till it cools down.
Remove from fridge and stir in the egg.
Roll potato mixture into balls and then smash flat. Try to form them about the same size as chicken nuggets.
Press each nugget into panko breadcrumbs if you want them extra crispy.
Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Fry potato cheese balls till golden brown on each side, flipping halfway through.
Place cheese balls on a wire rack to let excess oil drain.
Serve with chipotle mayo or whatever sauce you like.
Time and cooking temperatures can be found in the recipe card below.
Tips for Getting Them Extra Crispy
Fry these up in a shallow pan. You want about half an inch of oil. Much less than you would need to fully submerge them. Plus don’t these look awesome halfway fried? You get both sides golden brown by flipping them halfway through cooking.
I can’t stress this last part enough. After frying instead of putting your nuggets on a plate or dry paper towel lay them on a wire rack. It sounds silly but it makes a big difference. A wire rack allows air to flow underneath the food. If you put something straight out of the fryer onto a plate or dry paper towel the steam has nowhere to escape. The steam collects underneath softening the beautiful crispy crust you worked so hard to achieve. The wire rack lets the steam escape.
I find the panko to be optional. The mixture holds together without it just fine. The panko is what gives you that nice golden crispy coating on the outside.
Use the Same Mixture to Make Cheesy Potato Fries
Literally the exact same mixture. Instead of smashing them into nuggets flatten the mixture out on a cutting board. Cut into long strips and fry them up the same way you would the nuggets. Potato fries instead of potato cheese balls. Easy peasy.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make ahead this mixture will store in the fridge for a few days. Will actually fry up better if it’s cold so that’s another reason to prep it ahead if you have the time.
Store leftover potato cheese balls in an airtight container. Reheat in the oven or air fryer to crisp back up. The microwave will make them soggy.
Tips for Making Potato Cheese Balls
- Use freshly grated cheese. Trust me on this one. Pre-shredded cheese doesn’t melt how you need it to inside this mixture.
- Give the potato mixture time in the fridge if it’s difficult to work with. Hot potato = sticky potato and that makes it difficult to form into nuggets. Wait 20 to 30 minutes for it to firm back up in the fridge.
- Change it up! Use different cheeses. Use different seasonings. Don’t limit yourself to chipotle mayo. Ketchup or spicy ketchup are both delicious on these as well.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to use bread?
Yes. It’s being used as a binder here so you shouldn’t leave it out. If you don’t have bread it will work fine without it, but just be prepared for the texture to be different.
Do I have to use panko breadcrumbs?
No you don’t! They’re already sticky enough to hold together on their own. I find they don’t get quite as crispy without the panko but they’ll still taste great.
Why are my potato cheese balls breaking apart?
The most likely culprit is that your potato mixture was too warm when you tried to fry them. Let the mixture cool down in the fridge for about 20 minutes. Make sure you drain your potatoes too. Leftover moisture can make them fall apart.
Related Recipes
- Chili Cheese Fries
- Fully Loaded Potato Wedges
- Grilled Bone In Ribeyes and Smashed Parmesan Potatoes
- Fried Mushrooms and Onion Rings
Potato Cheese Balls (Crispy Fried Potato Nuggets)
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Peel the potatoes and boil them until fork tender. Drain them well and add them to a large mixing bowl.
- While the potatoes boil, quickly dunk the two slices of sandwich bread in water and immediately remove them. Do not let them soak through. Gently squeeze out the excess water and chop the bread into small pieces.
- Mash the potatoes, then stir in the chopped bread, freshly grated cheese, cornstarch and your favorite potato seasoning. Mix until everything is evenly distributed.
- If the mixture is still too hot or difficult to handle, place it in the refrigerator for 20 to 30 minutes. This makes forming the nuggets much easier.
- Take the mixture out of the fridge and stir in the egg.
- Take a small portion of the mixture, roll it into a ball, then flatten it into a bite size chicken nugget shape.
- Press each nugget into panko until lightly coated. This step is optional, but it is what gives you the extra crispy exterior.
- Heat about half an inch of oil to 350°F in a shallow pan. Carefully add the nuggets and fry until golden brown and crispy, flipping them halfway through.
- Transfer the cooked nuggets to a wire rack so air can circulate underneath. This is what keeps them from going soggy.
- Serve hot with your favorite dipping sauce. Chipotle mayo is my favorite, but ketchup or spicy ketchup work great too.
Notes
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