BBQ Pulled Pork Fried Mac and Cheese Bites
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5.0
12 reviews
Excellent
BBQ Pulled Pork Fried Mac and Cheese Bites
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Fried Mac and cheese bites, made with five-cheese Mac and cheese mixed with BBQ pulled pork, make for the ultimate game day appetizer!
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Ingredients
- 1 recipe Homemade Mac and Cheese (using the Five Cheese Variation in recipe notes section) , prepared, but NOT baked
PULLED PORK:
- 3-4 lb boneless pork shoulder (or butt), netting removed
- 2 yellow onions, sliced
- 5 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1/2 Tbsp light brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 Tbsp chili powder
- 1/2 Tbsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 cups Stubb's Legendary Bar-B-Q Sauce (Original flavor)
FRIED MAC AND CHEESE BITES:
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs + 1 Tbsp water, beaten together
- 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 3-4 cups canola, sunflower, or peanut oil
- minced fresh parsley, for garnish
- additional Stubb's Original Bar-B-Q sauce, for drizzling and dipping
Instructions
PULLED PORK:
- To the bottom of a slow cooker (I use a 6 qt size), add onions and garlic. Top with chicken stock.
- Combine brown sugar, chili powder, salt, cumin and black pepper and rub all over pork shoulder. Place pork on top of the onion mixture in slow cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH for 6-7 hours, or LOW for 8-10, until pork is fork tender.
- Remove pork from slow cooker and place in large mixing bowl. Shred using two forks, discarding any pure fat pieces. Stir in Stubb's Original Bar-B-Q Sauce and set aside.
- Add pulled pork to prepared mac and cheese, stirring to thoroughly combine. Cover and refrigerate for several hours until firm, or overnight.
MAC AND CHEESE BITES:
- Scoop large golfball sized balls of the cold mac and cheese (an ice cream scoop works perfectly!), and use hands to form into complete ball shape. Place onto wax paper lined plate or baking sheet. Repeat with remaining mac and cheese. Place plate or baking sheet in freezer for 30 minutes.
- Add oil to dutch oven or large heavy bottomed bot. Heat over MED heat until oil temperature measures 360 F degrees.
- While oil is heating up, add flour, egg mixture and panko to three shallow bowls. To panko bowl, add parsley, cayenne and a pinch of salt and pepper, stirring to combine. Line a baking sheet with paper towels and place a wire cooling rack on top; set aside.
- Remove Mac and cheese balls from freezer and roll, one at a time, in flour (shaking off the excess), then dipping in egg mixture, then rolling (and pressing lightly to coat) in the panko mixture. Repeat with remaining balls.
- Place half the balls on a clean wax paper lined plate and refrigerate (or freeze), while frying the other half. You don't want to let the balls get too warm, or they could start to fall apart during the frying process.
- Add Mac and cheese balls, 4-5 at a time to the hot oil, gently nudging the balls as they fry, so all sides are fried equally. Fry for approximately 3 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Gently remove fried balls and place onto prepared wire rack to cool. Repeat with any remaining balls.
- Serve hot, drizzled with a bit of Stubb's Original Bar-B-Q Sauce, sprinkled with parsley, and with extra BBQ sauce for dipping.
Notes
- Recipe created and tested using homemade mac and cheese (linked in recipe above), and pulled pork detailed in recipe. However, you can also make the mac and cheese and pulled pork at other times and use the leftovers to make this recipe. You can also use store-bought mac and cheese (the kind already prepared), and pulled pork from the grocery deli. Amount of mac and cheese bites may vary if using these non-tested options.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Calories
507kcal
(25%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 30-
Amount Per Serving
Calories 507 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 507kcal | 25% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5.0
12 reviews
Excellent
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