Crispy Potato Cheese Balls

Posted on: February 12, 2023. Updated on: July 2, 2023.

by Carolina Gelen

These cheese balls are a deliciously crispy on the outside and full of cheesy savory goodness on the inside. Feel free to add additional spices of what you love most to the potatoes. I was going to add some jalapeño because I love spice but sometimes you just want to stick with a classic combination, so I added scallions. They are a party snack appetizer almost everyone will love.

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season with a heavy pinch of salt. Boil the potatoes until fork tender, for 15 to 20 minutes, depending on their size.
  2. Remove the skin off the potatoes. Coarsely grate the potatoes in large bowl. Add the grated cheeses, a big pinch of salt, pepper, scallions (or shallots), sour cream. Mix to combine. Grab a small handful of the mixture, and press it into a ball using your hands. Flatten, add the mozzarella cube in the middle and form the mixture into a ball. Repeat until you’re out of the potato mixture.
  3. Prepare your dredging station: add the eggs, flour, crushed cornflakes to 3 separate trays or plates. Mix or whisk the eggs until the egg yolks and whites are combined. Season the flour with garlic powder, cayenne and a pinch of salt.
  4. Coat each ball in flour, then egg, then cornflakes and set aside. Repeat until all balls have been coated. Add more flour, eggs or cornflakes as needed.
  5. Heat an oil bath (enough oil to cover the potato balls) in a medium pot, over medium heat, to 350°F (175°C).
  6. Add each ball to the hot oil and fry until golden all over, for 3 to 5 minutes. Lower the heat as needed. Drain the excess oil on a paper towel and allow the potato balls to rest on a cooling rack.
  7. Blend all the sauce ingredients in a food processor until smooth.
  8. Serve right away, while the potato balls are still hot.

Crispy Potato Cheese Balls

3.8 / 5. from 21

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3.8 / 5. from 21

Click to vote

Servings: 4 to 6
Prep: 40min
Cook: 10min
Total: 50min

Ingredients

Potato Cheese Balls

  • 700 g to 1 kg medium Russet potatoes, about 3 medium potatoes
  • 4 oz (113 g) sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated
  • 7 oz (200 g) low-moisture mozzarella cheese, coarsely grated
  • 5 oz (150 g) low-moisture mozzarella, cubed, if you want to stuff the potato balls with cheese, this is optional
  • 1/2 cup (100 g) sour cream
  • 3 shallots or 6 scallions, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup flour, plus more as needed
  • 3 eggs, plus more as needed
  • 3 cups (100 g) cornflakes, crushed, plus more as needed
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • Neutral oil for frying

Dipping Sauce

  • 3 springs parsley
  • 3 springs cilantro
  • 3 springs dill
  • 2 scallions
  • 1 jalapeño
  • The juice of 1 lime
  • A dollop of sour cream
  • Kosher salt

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season with a heavy pinch of salt. Boil the potatoes until fork tender, for 15 to 20 minutes, depending on their size.
  2. Remove the skin off the potatoes. Coarsely grate the potatoes in large bowl. Add the grated cheeses, a big pinch of salt, pepper, scallions (or shallots), sour cream. Mix to combine. Grab a small handful of the mixture, and press it into a ball using your hands. Flatten, add the mozzarella cube in the middle and form the mixture into a ball. Repeat until you’re out of the potato mixture.
  3. Prepare your dredging station: add the eggs, flour, crushed cornflakes to 3 separate trays or plates. Mix or whisk the eggs until the egg yolks and whites are combined. Season the flour with garlic powder, cayenne and a pinch of salt.
  4. Coat each ball in flour, then egg, then cornflakes and set aside. Repeat until all balls have been coated. Add more flour, eggs or cornflakes as needed.
  5. Heat an oil bath (enough oil to cover the potato balls) in a medium pot, over medium heat, to 350°F (175°C).
  6. Add each ball to the hot oil and fry until golden all over, for 3 to 5 minutes. Lower the heat as needed. Drain the excess oil on a paper towel and allow the potato balls to rest on a cooling rack.
  7. Blend all the sauce ingredients in a food processor until smooth.
  8. Serve right away, while the potato balls are still hot.

Carolina Gelen

You may have seen my work on TV, Food Network, NYT Cooking, Food52 and more. I make recipes more fun and accessible for home cooks. I immigrated to the US from Transylvania, Romania—where I lived most of my life—in 2021 to pursue my passion for cooking full-time. Here you’ll find a collection of approachable recipes, from weeknight dinners to desserts, you’ll come back to over and over again. Some of my most popular recipes include my chicken paprikash, orange chicken roast with fennel and shallots or butter beans all vodka. Some recipes are inspired by my Romanian-Hungarian upbringing, and most definitely all come with that Transylvanian resourcefulness! I love a good thrift, so make sure to catch my thrift hauls every Sunday on my Instagram!

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