A crisp panko shell, a soft potato layer and a pocket of melted mozzarella make these little balls a satisfying way to use firm leftover mash. Each one starts with a measured portion of potato wrapped around a single cheese cube.
Cold, sturdy mashed potatoes are the key. Loose or heavily creamed mash is hard to seal and can break apart in the oil, so save that style for another dish.
Before you begin
You will need: a deep heavy pot, deep-fry thermometer, instant-read food thermometer, dry metal slotted spoon or spider, three shallow bowls, a tray, parchment and a draining rack over a baking sheet. Keep a metal lid nearby for frying safety.
Makes 16 balls, or 4 appetizer servings of 4 each. Estimated prep: 25 minutes. Frying: 20 minutes. Chilling: 30 minutes. Cooling before serving: 5 minutes. Total: about 1 hour 20 minutes, with oil heating near the end of chilling. Extra oven finishing or a smaller frying batch size adds time. Making and chilling the mashed potatoes is not included.
Gather your ingredients
- 2 cups firm, cold mashed potatoes, safely refrigerated and not loose or runny
- 4 ounces (115 g) low-moisture mozzarella from a block, cut into 16 equal cubes about 3/4 inch across
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped chives, optional
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, optional
- Salt and ground black pepper, only as needed for the already-seasoned potatoes
- 1/2 cup (60 g) all-purpose flour, for coating
- 2 large eggs, beaten, for coating
- 1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- Canola or vegetable oil, enough for about 2 inches in a deep heavy pot, never more than one-third of the pot’s depth
- Optional: 1/2 cup marinara sauce or ranch dressing, for dipping
Let’s make it
- Check that the mashed potatoes are cold and firm enough to hold a ball without slumping. Stir in the optional chives and garlic powder, then taste and adjust salt and pepper before any contact with raw egg or flour. Do not use loose, heavily creamed potatoes for this recipe.
- Divide the potatoes into 16 portions, about 2 tablespoons each. Flatten a portion in your palm, put one mozzarella cube in the center, and close the potato completely around it. Roll gently into a ball with no cheese showing or cracks. Repeat with the remaining portions.
- Put the flour, beaten eggs and panko in three separate shallow bowls. Coat each ball lightly in flour, shaking off excess; dip in egg, let excess drip off, then roll in panko and press gently to cover completely. This is one full coating, not a double coating. Discard leftover egg wash and used breading ingredients.
- Set the balls on a parchment-lined tray and refrigerate for 30 minutes, until firm. Keep them refrigerated while waiting to fry. Do not put frozen or ice-coated balls into the hot oil.
- Near the end of chilling, pour about 2 inches of oil into a deep, heavy pot while the heat is off. The oil must fill no more than one-third of the pot; choose a deeper pot if necessary. Heat to 350°F (175°C), checking with a deep-fry thermometer. Keep a dry draining rack over a sheet pan nearby.
- Carefully lower 3–4 chilled balls into the oil with a dry metal slotted spoon. Fry for approximately 4–5 minutes, turning gently, until evenly golden and crisp. Lift a ball out and check that the center reaches 165°F (74°C) with a clean food thermometer. Time depends on size and starting temperature; check subsequent batches too. If the coating is golden before the center is hot enough, transfer to a rack on a baking sheet in a 350°F (175°C) oven and continue heating to 165°F instead of burning the crumbs in the oil.
- Transfer finished balls to the draining rack. Let the oil return to 350°F between batches, and repeat without crowding the pot. Keep water away from the oil and never leave it unattended. Turn off the heat when finished and let the oil cool completely before moving or disposing of it.
- Let the balls cool for about 5 minutes before serving with the optional dip. The cheese centers stay hot; take care when biting into them.
A few crafty little tips
- Portion all the potatoes and cheese first. Sixteen similar-sized balls cook more evenly than a mixture of tiny and oversized ones.
- Close every crack before breading. Exposed cheese can leak into the oil.
- Let excess egg drip away before adding panko; press the crumbs on gently rather than squeezing the potato ball out of shape.
- Fry one small test batch first so you can check the center temperature before cooking the rest.
- Keep the oil near 350°F with a thermometer. Crowding cools the oil, while excessive heat browns the crumbs before the middle heats.
Use a deep, heavy pot and dry utensils, leave ample room above the oil, and lower food carefully rather than dropping it. Never leave hot oil unattended or use water on an oil fire. Keep a metal lid nearby; if a fire occurs, turn off the heat only if safe and follow local fire-safety guidance. See fire-service deep-frying safety guidance.
Make it your own
Use the same weight of cheddar or Monterey Jack cut into 16 equal cubes if you prefer a different cheese. The optional chives and garlic powder season the potato layer without adding much moisture. Skip wet sauces or large vegetable pieces inside the balls, since the potato needs to seal firmly.
Store it for later
Start with mashed potatoes that were refrigerated promptly at 40°F (4°C) or below and are still within their 3–4-day leftover window. Frying them does not restart that clock. Refrigerate cooked balls in shallow covered containers within 2 hours, or within 1 hour above 90°F (32°C), and use within the remaining original storage window. See USDA leftover storage guidance.
Reheat refrigerated balls on a rack over a baking sheet at 350°F (175°C) until the center reaches 165°F (74°C). Begin checking around 15 minutes and allow longer as needed; a browned coating does not tell you the center temperature. See USDA reheating guidance.
Quick questions
Can I use leftover mashed potatoes?
Yes, if they are cold, firm and still within the safe refrigerated leftover window. Leftover mash with lots of milk, cream or gravy may be too soft to hold the cheese inside.
Can I prepare them ahead?
Shape and bread the balls up to one day ahead and refrigerate covered at 40°F (4°C) or below, still within the mashed potatoes’ original storage window. This method is written for chilled balls, not frozen ones. Do not fry them straight from the freezer; ice and surface moisture can cause hot oil to splatter, and a frozen center takes longer to heat.
Can I bake or air-fry them instead?
This recipe is written for deep-frying. Baking or air-frying changes the coating, oil application and heating time, so the frying instructions are not a direct conversion. Use a method developed for that appliance rather than assuming the same result.
Why is my coating golden but the center not hot enough?
The balls may be larger or colder than expected, or the oil may be too hot. Check the thermometer and keep the next batch uniform. Finish already-browned balls in the 350°F oven until their centers reach 165°F rather than leaving them in the oil until the coating burns.
Give the cheese a few minutes to cool, then serve the balls while the coating is crisp and the centers are warm.
Crispy Fried Cheese Mashed Potato Balls
Firm mashed potatoes wrapped around mozzarella cubes, coated in panko and fried until crisp, with hot melted cheese inside.
Ingredients
- 2 cups firm, cold mashed potatoes, safely refrigerated and not loose or runny
- 4 ounces (115 g) low-moisture mozzarella from a block, cut into 16 equal cubes about 3/4 inch across
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped chives, optional
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, optional
- Salt and ground black pepper, only as needed for the already-seasoned potatoes
- 1/2 cup (60 g) all-purpose flour, for coating
- 2 large eggs, beaten, for coating
- 1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- Canola or vegetable oil, enough for about 2 inches in a deep heavy pot, never more than one-third of the pot’s depth
- Optional: 1/2 cup marinara sauce or ranch dressing, for dipping
Instructions
- Check that the mashed potatoes are cold and firm enough to hold a ball without slumping. Stir in the optional chives and garlic powder, then taste and adjust salt and pepper before any contact with raw egg or flour. Do not use loose, heavily creamed potatoes for this recipe.
- Divide the potatoes into 16 portions, about 2 tablespoons each. Flatten a portion in your palm, put one mozzarella cube in the center, and close the potato completely around it. Roll gently into a ball with no cheese showing or cracks. Repeat with the remaining portions.
- Put the flour, beaten eggs and panko in three separate shallow bowls. Coat each ball lightly in flour, shaking off excess; dip in egg, let excess drip off, then roll in panko and press gently to cover completely. This is one full coating, not a double coating. Discard leftover egg wash and used breading ingredients.
- Set the balls on a parchment-lined tray and refrigerate for 30 minutes, until firm. Keep them refrigerated while waiting to fry. Do not put frozen or ice-coated balls into the hot oil.
- Near the end of chilling, pour about 2 inches of oil into a deep, heavy pot while the heat is off. The oil must fill no more than one-third of the pot; choose a deeper pot if necessary. Heat to 350°F (175°C), checking with a deep-fry thermometer. Keep a dry draining rack over a sheet pan nearby.
- Carefully lower 3–4 chilled balls into the oil with a dry metal slotted spoon. Fry for approximately 4–5 minutes, turning gently, until evenly golden and crisp. Lift a ball out and check that the center reaches 165°F (74°C) with a clean food thermometer. Time depends on size and starting temperature; check subsequent batches too. If the coating is golden before the center is hot enough, transfer to a rack on a baking sheet in a 350°F (175°C) oven and continue heating to 165°F instead of burning the crumbs in the oil.
- Transfer finished balls to the draining rack. Let the oil return to 350°F between batches, and repeat without crowding the pot. Keep water away from the oil and never leave it unattended. Turn off the heat when finished and let the oil cool completely before moving or disposing of it.
- Let the balls cool for about 5 minutes before serving with the optional dip. The cheese centers stay hot; take care when biting into them.
Notes
Makes 16 balls, or 4 appetizer servings of 4 each. Estimated prep: 25 minutes. Frying: 20 minutes. Chilling: 30 minutes. Cooling before serving: 5 minutes. Total: about 1 hour 20 minutes, with oil heating near the end of chilling. Extra oven finishing or a smaller frying batch size adds time. Making and chilling the mashed potatoes is not included.
Use firm cold mash and mozzarella cubes, not a cup of shredded cheese. Two cups mash divided into 2-tablespoon portions makes 16 balls. Seal every cube completely. One full flour/egg/panko coating is specified. Center temperature must reach 165°F, even if the crumbs brown sooner; finish in the oven if necessary.
Use a deep, heavy pot and dry utensils, leave ample room above the oil, and lower food carefully rather than dropping it. Never leave hot oil unattended or use water on an oil fire. Keep a metal lid nearby; if a fire occurs, turn off the heat only if safe and follow local fire-safety guidance. See fire-service deep-frying safety guidance.
Shape and bread the balls up to one day ahead and refrigerate covered at 40°F (4°C) or below, still within the mashed potatoes’ original storage window. This method is written for chilled balls, not frozen ones. Do not fry them straight from the freezer; ice and surface moisture can cause hot oil to splatter, and a frozen center takes longer to heat.
Start with mashed potatoes that were refrigerated promptly at 40°F (4°C) or below and are still within their 3–4-day leftover window. Frying them does not restart that clock. Refrigerate cooked balls in shallow covered containers within 2 hours, or within 1 hour above 90°F (32°C), and use within the remaining original storage window. See USDA leftover storage guidance.
Reheat refrigerated balls on a rack over a baking sheet at 350°F (175°C) until the center reaches 165°F (74°C). Begin checking around 15 minutes and allow longer as needed; a browned coating does not tell you the center temperature. See USDA reheating guidance.
Check Out Some Of Our Other Recipes / Crafts
- Crispy Cheddar Scallion Mashed Potato Bites
- Philly Cheesesteak Potato Skins
- Crispy Dill Pickle Smashed Potatoes
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