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A red basket lined with red-and-white checkered paper holds a pile of golden-brown hush puppies next to a small cup of creamy dipping sauce.
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Fried Cheese Balls with Chili Mayonnaise

What's better than cheese? Fried cheese! These are a perfect snack or appetizer that anyy hungry crowd will enjjoy!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Cheddar cheese, Eggs, Fried, Oil, Onion
Servings: 24 balls
Author: Nicole

Ingredients

For the Cheese Balls

  • 8 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar cheese grated
  • ¼ cup finely diced sweet onion like Vidalia
  • 1 cup dry unseasoned bread crumbs
  • ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 extra-large eggs lightly beaten
  • Vegetable oil for frying

For the Mayonnaise

  • ¼ cup mayonaise I use Hellman's
  • 1 ½ tablespoons chili sauce
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • Pinch of kosher salt
  • teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • Tabasco to taste optional (but good)
  • Ground cayenne pepper to taste optional (but good)

Instructions

For the Chili Mayonnaise

  • In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, chili sauce, lemon juice, salt, and cayenne pepper. Stir until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Mayonnaise can be made up to one day in advance.

For the Cheese Balls

  • In a medium bowl, combine the cheese, onion, bread crumbs, Worcestershire sauce, and eggs until thoroughly mixed. Roll the mixture into balls about 1-inch in diameter. (I use a packed 1/2-ounce ice cream scoop to shape). Place the balls on a wax or parchment paper lined cookie sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to fry. The cheese balls can be prepared to this point up to three hours in advance.
  • In heavy medium frying pan, heat 2 inches of oil to 375ºF. Carefully place four balls at a time in the hot oil. (Adding to many balls at time will reduce the oil temperature). After 30 seconds, gently nudge each ball with the side of a spoon/skimmer (I use a bamboo Chinese skimmer) to loosen from the bottom. Allow the balls to fry for another 1-1 1/2 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the balls from the oil and drain on a paper towel lined plate or baking sheet. Keep warm in a 200ºF oven until ready to serve.
  • To serve, dip a cheese ball into the chili mayonnaise then dash it with a drop or two of Tabasco or cayenne pepper. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 79kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 129mg | Potassium: 28mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 127IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 78mg | Iron: 0.3mg
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