Fried Cheese Balls with Chili Mayonnaise

It’s been a busy week here at Yarod, but I couldn’t let the week go by without sharing this recipe. Most people will be planning their weekend around the Labor Day holiday. In our house, the first weekend of September is a double holiday of sorts. It’s the kickoff to college football! Woot! Woot! My son and husband have been counting the weeks, now days until this weekend like it was Christmas. Come to think of it, I equate their Phil Steele’s college football magazine to an old Sears Christmas Wishbook. So, if you are like us and will be at a game or watching one on TV, I highly suggest you whip up a batch of these golden nuggets. We enjoyed devoured these cheese balls this past Sunday and with each bite, all I could think about was how perfect these would be at a football party or tailgate. I mean, fried balls of cheese dipped in a kicked-up mayonnaise?! Pass the cold beer, please:).

I made these a few years ago for a party and they were really good, but I knew with a few adjustments, I could take them to the “ultimate” cheese ball level. Verdict– these are incredible and worth every bit of their unhealthy nature. My only conundrum after dipping in the mayonnaise sauce is– do I take a bite with a dash of cayenne or Tabasco? Good thing I don’t have to decide. I can have the first one with cayenne and the second with Tabasco and the third one with cayenne and the fourth one with Tabasco and– o.k, I’ll stop and share.

Fried Cheese Balls with Chili Mayonnaise

By Nicole Prep: 15 minsCook: 10 minsTotal: 25 mins Servings: 24 balls What's better than cheese? Fried cheese! These are a perfect snack or appetizer that anyy hungry crowd will enjjoy!

Equipment

• ½-ounce ice cream scoop
• Digital thermometer with pot clip
• Spider strainer

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
• ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Tabasco to taste, optional (but good)
• Ground cayenne pepper to taste, optional (but good)

Instructions 

For the Chili Mayonnaise

1. 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

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.