Potato cheese balls

A potato ball placed on a wooden surface and cut in half to show oozing cheese.

5 from 3 votes

Crisp yet creamy melt in your mouth potato balls with a cheesy surprise in the center. Perfect as an appetizer, snack or a side dish. A great way to use leftover mashed potatoes.

Prep Time30 mins

Cook Time10 mins

Total Time40 mins

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Armenian

Diet: Halal, Vegetarian

Servings: balls

Calories: 78kcal

Author: Amira

Ingredients

2 pounds russet potato peeled
2 garlic cloves minced
¼ cup chives chopped
¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley 7g
1 teaspoon oregano
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Salt to taste
18 Cheddar cheese cubes about ½ inch each

For the coating:

2 eggs lightly beaten with a dash of salt and pepper
½ cup all purpose flour
1 cup panko breadcrumbs

Instructions

In a large pot pour enough cold water to cover the potatoes and season with salt.
Add potatoes and bring the pot to a boil, continue to cook until potatoes are cooked but still firm.
Drain potatoes well, let them cool down then mash with a fork or a potato masher.
In a big bowl, add mashed potatoes, garlic, chives, parsley, and seasoning mix well. Taste to adjust seasoning.
Prepare three bowls one with flour, the second one with breadcrumbs and beat eggs with a dash of salt and pepper in the third one.

Shaping the potato balls:

Take about 2-3 tablespoons of the mashed potato mixture, make a dent in the middle and place a cube of cheese in the center.
Close the ball on the cheese gently making sure the cheese stays in the middle of the ball and there are no cracks on the ball.
Roll the ball in the flour first then coat with eggs then roll in breadcrumbs.
Place ball on a plate and continue forming another one until you are done with the whole mixture.

Frying:

In a frying pan pour enough oil to cover the balls (about 2 ½ inch) and heat over medium high heat.
When oil is ready, 300-320F , drop the temperature to medium and carefully drop the balls into the hot oil do not cram the frying pan.
Fry until golden brown.

Notes

Do not boil the potatoes for too long as they will become soggy which will make them disintegrate when fried.
If you happen to forget the potatoes and they became too mushy, add a couple of tablespoons of flour to the potato mixture to absorb the extra moisture.
Herbs are pretty much to your liking, you can use green onions instead of chives or omit the chives and just use parsley.
You might as well use finely diced bell pepper.
If you do not have oregano use Italian seasoning or use any seasoning you like instead.
It will take about 1 minute or less for the potato balls to get to golden brown so do not leave the pan and walk away.
Make sure the cheese is in the center or your potato ball, if the cheese is not covered well with potatoes they might leak and come out while frying.
For an extra crispy potato balls with thicker coat:
- In a wide bowl add equal amounts of flour and cornstarch then slowly whisk in water until it forms a thick batter much like pancake or béchamel.
- Prepare another bowl with breadcrumbs.
- Roll the balls in breadcrumbs then cornstarch mixture then breadcrumbs again.
- Fry as directed above.
Storage:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Make a head:
- Follow directions and do not fry. Place potato balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze until hard.
  Store frozen balls in a freezer bag or container for up to one month.
Variations:
- Play a bit with the filling, you can stuff potatoes with a mix of cheese, cooked chicken, browned ground beef or a mix of veggies.
- You can use sweet potatoes instead of regular potatoes, this will alter the taste of course and make the cheese balls sweeter.
Please check the nutrition disclaimer policy.

Nutrition