Mac and cheese croquettes

What are croquettes?

Croquettes are finger food at its best – bite-sized, crunchy and easy to consume with one hand while you hold a drink in the other, they disappear fast at a party or celebration. It’s thought that the recipe originated in France (croquer is French for ‘crunch’) but you’ll see versions of this dish around the world, particularly in Spain and America. They can also be made with many different fillings – potato is the most common but you’ll also find meat fillings, veggie fillings, fish fillings and variations, such as tuna croquettes and salmon and white bean croquettes. For this recipe, we’ve taken it up a notch and transformed the popular mac and cheese recipe into croquettes. 

Choosing the right pasta for mac and cheese croquettes

Mac and cheese is traditionally made with macaroni pasta and for good reason: the elbow shape of the pasta holds the saucy filling perfectly. For these croquettes, the key is to keep the pasta small – anything too big will make the croquettes hard to form into the right shape and may cause them to fall apart during cooking and eating. Macaroni is perfect but you could also use fusilli, risoni or curls, and use up any half-empty packets in a range of easy pasta recipes. 

Simple step-by-step: how to make mac and cheese croquettes

We’re not going to lie – there are a few steps to this recipe, but they’re all pretty simple. First, you have to cook the pasta – don’t overcook it or it will break apart when mixed with the sauce. You want it to be al dente – so still a little firm to the bite.

Next, you have to make the sauce. It’s essentially an easy bechamel, and the secret to this type of sauce is following the recipe to the letter to get the right consistency. In step 2, combine the flour and butter over heat to make sure the flour doesn’t taste raw. The mixture will look grainy when it’s combined – this only takes 1-2 minutes maximum, so keep an eye on it. When you add the milk, whisk constantly. If you stop whisking at this stage you may get lumps in your sauce. What you’re looking for is a lump-free, thick white sauce

We’ve added Dijon mustard, cheddar, parmesan and cayenne pepper to the mix but this recipe is pretty forgiving. Any hard cheeses you have on hand will work and most mustards will be OK, too (watch out for anything too hot and overpowering). Instead of cayenne pepper, you could use paprika or a sprinkle of chilli flakes.

Tips for shaping the croquettes like a pro

Mac and cheese croquettes, mac and cheese balls, mac and cheese bites… the shape you decide on is up to you. Traditionally, croquettes are a log shape but balls or bites are all fine, too. To shape and coat the croquettes, it’s easiest to get a production line going – set up your bowls of cooled mixture, flour, egg and breadcrumbs in a line and have a baking tray at the end so you can work cleanly from one side to the other. 

Use a tablespoon to measure out the mixture and then roll between your clean palms to shape into the log to form the mac and cheese croquette (or ball or bite). Shake off any excess flour after dipping – excess flour may not cook and will taste grainy and raw. 

Dishing up macaroni cheese balls: serving ideas

These could be served as a light lunch but are ideally suited to a finger food menu when you are planning to entertain – hand them around with arancini balls and mini quiches. And don’t forget the dipping sauce – a bought sweet chilli sauce is a convenient option. If you have more time though, whip up a spicy tomato relish.