These Crispy And Cheesy Fried Mashed Potato Balls are loaded with crispy bacon, creamy potatoes, melty cheese, green onions, and spicy jalapeños, then coated with panko breadcrumbs and fried until crispy and golden brown. They’re the perfect way to use up leftover mashed potatoes and make a deliciously cheesy appetizer.
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Why This Recipe Works
If you’ve ever had a batch of leftover mashed potatoes on your hands, (hello, Thanksgiving), you’ll appreciate this recipe. There are obviously loads of things you can do with leftover potatoes - use them for a Shepherd’s Pie, turn them into potato cakes, make potato dumplings and add them to a soup, or even make waffles. But fried mashed potato balls may be my favorite way to use up leftover mashed potatoes. They are the ultimate comfort food!
This recipe is super easy to make (after all, your main ingredient, the potatoes, is already made!). In my opinion, it's the best way to put those Thanksgiving leftovers to good use. It’s also insanely delicious and works great as an appetizer. Add your favorite dipping sauce and you’re good to go! (Note - this is also a super fun holiday recipe and is so delicious, you may just want to make mashed potatoes specifically for these delicious little crispy potato balls!)
Ingredients
The ingredients for these loaded cheesy mashed potato balls are simple:
- Leftover mashed potatoes. This recipe is best if your mashed potatoes did not use the skins. Because your mashed potatoes will be a bit cold (and maybe a tad dry?) when you take them out of the refrigerator, allow them to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before making these. It will make rolling your mashed potato balls much easier.
- Bacon. Is there anything that bacon doesn’t make better? I cooked up a few pieces of bacon quickly in the microwave to make these cheesy mashed potato bites, but you could also use bacon bits if that’s all you have, or if you just want to keep it easy.
- Cheese! You can use any kind of cheese for these loaded cheese-stuffed mashed potato balls. I used Colby Jack since it’s what I had on hand, but cheddar is also an obvious choice.
- Green onions. Scallions/green onions add a nice peppery flavor to these tasty mashed potato balls.
- Diced jalapeno. You all know I love a little spice, and jalapeños are a great way to add some heat to these mashed potato bites! However, the jalapeno is optional so if you aren’t a fan, just omit it.
- Panko bread crumbs. Crispy Panko breadcrumbs are what give these fried mashed potato cheese balls their crunch! (Don't use regular breadcrumbs here - you want them to be super crispy!
Variations And Substitutions
- Swap out the bacon. Ham would be another great choice for these or even a seasoned ground beef.
- Try a different cheese. Since mashed potatoes can be a bit of a blander base, you can really get creative with the cheese here and completely change the taste of these fried potato balls. Try a blue cheese for something a bit more pungent or a peppery Parmesan cheese for some added flavor. Or, go for an herby, soft cheese blend to give these an earthier flavor.
- Make them vegetarian. Omit the meat all together for a vegetarian option. Try subbing in different veggies for different flavors - broccoli would be a great option.
How To Make These Cheesy Mashed Potato Bites
These loaded mashed potato balls are a cinch to make!
- Let the mashed potatoes come to room temperature. Allow your leftover mashed potatoes to rest for a bit coming out of the refrigerator. This will make it easier to mix in the other ingredients and will make it easier to roll the mashed potatoes into balls. (Cold mashed potatoes are much harder to mix!)
- Combine the potatoes with the add-ins. In a large bowl, add the mashed potatoes, diced bacon, shredded cheese, diced jalapeno, and diced scallions. Mix the mashed potato mixture until well combined, then roll into small, ½ inch bite-sized balls. (You could use a small ice cream scoop or a small cookie scoop to make this easier.)
- Prepare the crunchy Panko breading. Whisk the two eggs in a medium bowl. Place the panko breadcrumbs in a separate bowl.
- Dip and roll! Dip the loaded potato balls into the egg mixture, then roll the balls in the Panko bread crumb mixture to coat them.
- Fry em up! Fry the mashed potato balls in hot oil over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes, or until the edges are a golden, crispy brown.
- Allow them to cool. Remove the fried mashed potato balls with a slotted spoon and allow them to cool slightly on a paper towel-lined plate.
Best Dipping Sauce For Fried Mashed Potato Balls
These go well with so many sauces! Think about what you might add to a loaded baked potato or french fries and you’ll have endless possibilities. Here are a few ideas:
- Sour cream (plain or herbed)
- Sriracha mayo
- Ranch dip
- Ketchup
- Barbecue sauce
- French fry dipping sauce - a combination of ketchup and mayo in equal parts
- Spicy Ketchup
- Horseradish mayo
Tips For Success
- Allow the leftover mashed potatoes to rest after taking them out of the refrigerator. They’ll be easier to mix with the other ingredients and easier to roll into balls.
- Use a large skillet. Use a high-edge skillet or pot for frying to help avoid too much splatter.
- Don’t roll the potato balls too big. You want the mashed potato bites to be bite-sized. Additionally, rolling them too large will make it harder to get the center warm. Keep them at around ½ inch for best results.
- Don't use olive oil! If frying, don’t use olive oil! While an olive oil spray is fine for baking or air frying, olive oil is not great for frying because it has a lower smoke point. If you’re going the frying route for these cheese potato bites, stick to a neutral oil with a high smoke point. Avocado oil, peanut oil, or canola oil are all good choices.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! If you'd rather not mess with deep frying, make baked mashed potato balls instead! Place the mashed potato balls on a parchment-lined pan and spray them lightly with olive oil. Bake in a 450 oven for 5-10 minutes until browned.
Yep! For a quick and healthy alternative to fried mashed potato balls, you can use an air fryer! Just place them into your air fryer basket (don’t crowd them!), spray them lightly with oil, then cook for about 6 minutes at 400F, or until they are golden brown and crispy.
Allow the fried mashed potato balls to cool completely before placing them into an airtight container. These will keep in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
Reheat leftover mashed potato balls in the oven at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes. Flip the balls halfway through baking to ensure even cooking on all sides.
Yes! You have two options here. You can freeze these mashed potato balls either before or after you fry them. To freeze them before you fry them, prepare the mashed potato balls up to the point of frying them, then place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and place them in the freezer for 1-2 hours until frozen. Then transfer the frozen balls to an airtight container in the freezer. When you’re ready to fry them, simply remove them from the freezer and fry them in oil for 5-6 minutes over medium heat, or until they’re cooked through.
To freeze them after you fry them, simply allow them to cool completely then, freeze them in an airtight container. Reheat them from frozen at 350F for about 20-25 minutes in the oven.
The beauty of this recipe is that it's easy to make them ahead - especially helpful if you're making them for a party. To do this, you can make them fully, then reheat with the instructions above. Or, you can form the balls, store them in the refrigerator until you're ready to finish them, then fry them up in the panko and egg mixture just before guests arrive.
If you try these Fried Mashed Potato Balls With Bacon and Cheese, I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments!
More Of My Favorite Appetizers!
- Easy 7 Layer Greek Dip
- Cheddar Cheese Straws
- Cream Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms
- Louisiana Voodoo Fries (Wingstop Copycat!)
- Deviled Eggs With Bacon And Jalapeno
- Popcorn For Dinner
- Spicy Cherry Salsa
Recipe
Fried Mashed Potato Balls With Bacon and Cheese
Ingredients
- 2 green onions diced
- 3 cups leftover mashed potatoes
- 1 ½ cups shredded colby jack cheese
- 1 ½ jalapeno diced
- 1 cup crumbled cooked bacon (bacon bits work too!)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups panko bread crumbs
- 2-3 cups neutral oil
Instructions
- Place mashed potatoes in a bowl and combine with the scallions, cheddar cheese, jalapeno, bacon, and salt and pepper.
- In a small bowl, whisk the 2 eggs. In a separate bowl, add the panko bread crumbs.
- Roll the mashed potato mixture into ½-inch balls (a cookie scoop makes this easy), then roll the balls in the whisked egg, and then in the bowl of bread crumbs.
- Heat oil on medium-high in a high-edge skillet or pot.
- Add the potato balls, a few at a time, and fry them, turning every minute or so until all sides are golden brown. (Mine took about 4-5 minutes total)
- Remove the balls with a slotted spoon and place them on a paper towel-lined rimmed baking sheet.
- Serve immediately with your choice of sauce (Ranch, sour cream, or spicy sriracha mayo are all great options!)
Notes
- Allow the leftover mashed potatoes to rest after taking them out of the refrigerator. They’ll be easier to mix with the other ingredients and easier to roll into balls.
- Use a large skillet with high sides to avoid splatter.
- Don’t roll the potato balls too big. Keep them at around ½ inch for best results.
- Don't use olive oil! If frying, don’t use olive oil! While an olive oil spray is fine for baking or air frying, olive oil is not great for frying because it has a lower smoke point. If you’re going the frying route for these cheese potato bites, stick to a neutral oil with a high smoke point. Avocado oil, peanut oil, or canola oil are all good choices.
- Storing instructions - To store, allow the fried mashed potato balls to cool completely before transferring them to an airtight container in the refrigerator. They'll keep for 4-5 days.
Nutrition
Hannah says
These look so tasty! I want to make mashed potatoes now just so I can use the leftovers in this recipe!!
Sarah Jenkins says
Let me know how they turn out!