Sometimes you need a big juicy cheeseburger. Other times you need a warm bowl of macaroni & cheese. But what about those times where what you really NEED is both. Finally, a solution to one of life’s biggest dilemmas has been solved. I present to you, the mac & cheeseburger. It brings together two worlds of cheesy goodness into one delicious package. Not to mention the addition of deep fried goodness; because everything is better deep fried. Find out how to make it in the recipe below!
Deep fried mac and cheese
Ingredients:
- Leftover mac ‘n cheese that has been refrigerated
- flour
- egg
- panko bread crumbs
- salt+pepper
- vegetable oil for frying
Method:
- Form the leftover mac into balls (think meatballs) and freeze to firm up until ready to use
- Set up a breading station with 3 bowls. bowl 1 should contain flour, bowl 2 should contain beaten egg, and bowl 3 should contain the panko. season the flour and bread crumbs with salt+pepper and any additional spices of your preference such as cayenne. You can also add some hot sauce to the egg mixture.
- One by one, put the frozen mac ‘n cheese balls into bowl 1,2,3 (in that order) ensuring it is completely coated at each stage
- Heat oil to 350 degrees and carefully drop in the breaded mac ‘n’ cheese balls. Cook for 5-6 minutes until golden brown. Remove the balls and drain excess oil
For the Burger
Ingredients:
- Organic ground beef
- Sliced cheddar cheese
- Bun
- Salt+pepper
- Toppings – Lettuce, tomato, onion, jalapeños,
- Sriracha mayo or sauce of your choosing
- Deep fried mac ‘n’ cheese balls
Method:
- Form the ground beef into 1/2 pound patties by hand or using a burger press (make it bigger than you want it because it will shrink)
- Heat your pan (cast iron is ideal but anything should work) over medium-high heat and melt butter in it
- Generously season one side of the burger with salt and pepper (you’ll season the other side once it’s cooking)
- Place seasoned side down and make an indentation with your thumb in the middle to keep the burger from bulging
- Cook 3-4 minutes per side until pink and juicy on the inside. place a slice of cheese on top when its almost done.
- Toast and butter the bun while the burger is cooking
To assemble the burger, put sauce on the bottom bun and then place lettuce, tomato, and onion on it. Place the burger ontop of your toppings and top with jalapeños. Take you’re fried mac ‘n cheese and put it on the burger (you can cut them in half to expose the inside or leave them whole). Squish everything down with the top bun and dig in!