Cheese Balls Recipe

These Cheese Balls are delicious, irresistible and easily makes to the top favorites. These versatile little Potato Cheese Balls are perfect for special occasions and parties… or they can turn the everyday into something special. They are also easy to customize. Don’t want to add breadcrumbs to the outside? Skip it! Intimidated by deep frying? Pan-fry, air-fry or even bake the cheese balls!

However you decide to make these cheese balls, it’s absolutely worth giving them a try.

What are Cheese Balls?

Cheese Balls are somewhat similar to European croquettes (deep fried dumplings filled with meat, seafood, vegetables, or cheese and a binding dough of sauce, potatoes, or wheat) and Caribbean papas rellenas (fried potato dough balls filled with meat, spices, eggs, and vegetables).

Like papas rellenas and many croquettes, our Cheese Balls are made with potato. The term “cheese balls” comes from the delicious cheesy filling that is encased in a mashed potato mix, covered in liquid, cornstarch, and breadcrumbs or panko crumbs for crunch, and then finally either deep fried or baked.

But knowing what cheese balls are is half the battle. How do you make and serve them? Where do they fit into the menu?

Points to note

Luckily these cheese balls aren’t too hard to make, but there are a few things to keep in mind when making them.

First, you’ll probably want to make the mashed potatoes from scratch. Leftover mashed potatoes from dinner, often cooked with butter and some kind of liquid, would make too soft a dough that would not be able to contain the cheese filling during frying.

Second, you’ll want to make sure you use a cheese that melts well. This recipe calls for mozzarella or cheddar, but soft cheeses or Alpine cheeses like Swiss cheese will also work.

Don’t use hard, aged cheeses like Parmesan because they won’t melt quickly enough.

Third, consider double breading the cheese balls. While you don’t have to cover the cheese balls in bread crumbs at all if you want, doing two layers of bread crumbs helps make them extra crispy when fried or baked.

Fourth, if you choose to deep fry the cheese balls, make sure you use an oil that has a high smoke point – meaning you can heat them to a pretty high temperature before it starts to smoke and burn.

Good oils for deep frying include canola oil, refined peanut oil, avocado oil, or safflower oil.

Serving Cheese Balls

When do you serve cheese balls? Whenever you want!

But in all seriousness, they make a great snack or appetizer, especially when served with a dip to cut through the intensely savory and rich flavors and textures.

Ketchup, salsa, marinara, or other tomato-based sauces would work wonderfully as dips. Consider other acidic condiments too, such as hot sauce, mayonnaise, sour cream, or a yogurt-based dip.

Everyone will be very impressed when you bring a big platter of little crunchy cheese balls with some dip on the side.

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How to make Cheese Balls (Stepwise Photos)

Preparation

1. Boil 250 grams (9 ounces) potatoes in which ever way you like. I prefer to boil them in a pot with water enough to cover them. This way they don’t turn too mushy or soft. It is good to keep the skin while boiling as it prevents them from turning mushy.

2. Peel off the skin.

3. Mash them well. There should be no balls or lumps of potato. The mashed potatoes must be smooth. To prevent lumps you can also grate and then mash them.

4. Add 6 tablespoons bread crumbs or powdered poha. Also add ½ teaspoon dried Italian herbs, ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon crushed black pepper and ½ to ¾ teaspoon red chili flakes. Also add in little salt. Do note that cheese is salted so you will need very less salt here.

5. Then add 1 teaspoon garlic powder or ginger garlic paste and 2 tablespoons fine chopped fresh herbs like cilantro (coriander leaves) or any other of choice.

6. Mix together everything and make a ball. The mixture must be non sticky and not too dry. Taste test this and adjust spices and herbs to your taste. Avoid adding too much salt.

7. Divide the mixture to 8 to 10 balls. I made 2x recipe so I got 18 balls.

Season the Cheese

8. Cut 100 grams (3.5 ounces) cheese to 10 portions, about ½ to ¾ inch cubes. I made 2x recipe so you see more cheese in my pictures. To a plate add the seasonings.

• ½ teaspoon dried herbs (Italian or any)
• ¼ to ½ teaspoon red chilli flakes (skip for toddlers)
• ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon black pepper crushed or ground
• ⅛ teaspoon allspice (or any spice blend or ½ tsp garam masala)

9. Mix all of them and sprinkle it over the cheese.

Make Cheese Balls

10. Place a potato ball on your palm. Spread it evenly to a small discs. Do not spread it too thin else the cheese can easily come out while frying. Place 1 cheese cube in the center.

11. Bring the sides together to cover the cheese. The potato mixture may break but it is okay. Just roll it up gently.

12. Make a round ball.

13. Add 2 tbsp of corn flour to a bowl and roll the balls in the flour.

14. This way roll all of the balls and rest them aside for 10 mins.

15. Pour 3 to 4 tbsps of water to 2 tbsps of cornstarch and make a uniform slurry. Alternately you can also use beaten egg. Transfer ½ cup bread crumbs to a bowl. Dip each ball in the cornstarch slurry and then quickly roll them in the bread crumbs.

16. I prefer to repeat dipping the once breaded cheese balls in the cornstarch slurry and then roll them in the bread crumbs again. This way they turn extra crisp.

Frying cheese balls

You can also bake these or pan fry them, find the instructions in the recipe card below.

17. Heat oil in a wide, slightly deep pan just enough to half cover the cheese balls. Check the oil if it is hot enough by dropping a small portion of potato. It has to rise immediately without browning.

18. Regulate the flame to medium high. Gently slide the cheese balls to hot oil and do not disturb for 30 to 60 seconds. Stirring them immediately often break the balls.

19. Fry until golden and crisp on a medium or medium high heat. Remove to a cooling rack. To fry the next batch remove the bread crumbs from the oil using a skimmer.

20. These cheese balls are best served hot.

Serve cheese balls with your favorite dip or sauce.

More recipes using cheese,
Cheese sandwich
Pizza recipe
Cheese toast
Cream cheese sandwich

Pro Tips

1. Boil potatoes just until done without making them too soggy or mushy. Over cooked or soggy potatoes will need more bread crumbs to absorb the moisture. This alters the taste of the covering.

2. I have flavored the cheese balls with pepper, red chili flakes, Italian herbs and allspice powder. You may use your choice of herbs and spices or seasonings.

How to make these healthier?

1. If you do not prefer breaded snacks then skip rolling the balls in bread crumbs. Just roll them in corn starch and fry or bake them.

2. For healthier option, I make these cheese balls by avoiding bread crumbs completely. I use coarse poha powder (flattened rice) for the potato mixture as well for the crust. To make your own poha powder, just pulse the thick or medium variety poha in a blender jar. The powder must be like fine rava or suji.

3. To avoid corn starch, just replace it with any other whole grain flour. Just make sure the flour is very fine or smooth.

4. Avoid deep frying and bake them at 200 C in a preheated oven for 15 mins.

Variations

1. Instead of boiled potatoes, you can use sweet potatoes. The cheese balls will turn sweeter in that case.
2. You can skip the potatoes and just use plain bread to wrap the cheese cubes. For this cut each bread to 2 triangles and remove the browns. Moisten the bread slice with milk or water until soft. Then place the cheese cube in the center and bring the sides together and roll it to a ball. Then roll it in dry flour and rest for a while. Fry or bake these.
3. Make chicken cheese balls, by rolling the cheese cubes in minced chicken. Add 1 large potato for binding. Follow the recipe as is and bake them in oven. I haven’t tried these deep frying.

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Recipe Card

I made 2x recipe, so the quantities in the pictures will not match as mentioned.