Air Fryer Mac and Cheese Balls- Macaroni and Cheese Ball Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why are my mac and cheese balls falling apart? ›

How do I keep my mac and cheese balls from falling apart? The addition of egg and flour is key here—they act as a sealant around the outside of the mac and cheese. You'll also want to make sure you're chilling your mac and cheese for a long enough period of time, at least 3 hours.

Add Cream Cheese

Most boxes will instruct you to boil the pasta, then drain and add butter, milk, and cheese powder to the pot, mixing well to form a sauce. To make your mac extra creamy and rich, stir in a tablespoon or two of cream cheese into your cheese sauce.

Macaroni cheese and pasta bakes

Instead, portion some into an enamel or aluminium dish and reheat in your air fryer at 180°C for 5-6 minutes, adding a splash of water in the bottom of the dish, and you'll be rewarded with something that could fool you it had just come fresh out of the oven.

Why is my cheese ball so hard? You want your cheese ball to be firm enough to hold its shape, but soft enough to allow for easy spreading. To achieve this consistency, the key is making sure your cream cheese is softened before preparing.

I'll spare you any more science-y talk, but the main culprits in curdled or split mac and cheese are too much heat and what kind of cheese you use. When you toss a bunch of cheese all at once into a béchamel mixture (milk-cream-roux) that's too hot (I like to keep the temp between 140 and 180°F) the sauce will split.

Whether making it from scratch or the box, sour cream is the secret ingredient to rich and creamy macaroni and cheese. This tart and tangy additive goes a long way regarding recipes, and just a dollop can transform any dish into a thick and creamy masterpiece.

What Is the Best Cheese for Mac and Cheese? Sharp cheddar is the overwhelming popular choice, but for extra-creamy results, we think medium cheddar is even better. Other delicious options include Gruyère, smoked Gouda, and Monterey Jack.

Finally, using a plain yogurt is one of the best options for replacing milk in kraft mac and cheese! A plain whole milk yogurt or a greek yogurt would work well. Mix it in the same way you'd mix in sour cream, until it is well incorporated. This may have a slightly tangier flavor, but that is a personal preference.

How do you keep mac and cheese creamy? ›

Add more milk if you haven't already. More milk leads to less dry mac and cheese. If that doesn't work and you've already tried, use a different type of cheese. Velveeta works well.

Foil is safe to use in an air fryer so long as you follow three basic rules: never let foil touch the heating element; make sure the foil is weighted so it doesn't blow around the basket; and avoid contact with acidic ingredients, which can cause the foil to leach onto your food.

Be careful not to overheat the mac and cheese, which will cause the proteins and fat in the cheese to separate, and which will also make the pasta mushy. If you made a stovetop version of mac and cheese, and you want to reheat it in the oven, it's not ideal, but it will work.

How do you keep mac and cheese creamy? First, the recipe must have enough liquid once combined with the cheeses, in this case, evaporated milk. It is important to use evaporated milk which stabilizes the cheeses and prevent them from separating.

One way to avoid curdled mac and cheese sauce is by tempering, or combining two ingredients with different temperatures and slowly bringing them to the same temperature, so there is no shock or coagulation.

Always add the cheese off the heat. Grate it in advance, add it a bit at a time, whisking until it dissolves, then add more. Don'tget impatient and dump it all in at once. Adding cheese while the pan is on the heat tightens the proteins, which will make lumps in your sauce.

Break up any clumps of the leftovers in a mixing bowl and add one tablespoon of milk per cup of macaroni and cheese. Add a little bit of extra cheese, and then fill a casserole dish with the mixture.