Arancini Style Pepperoni Mac & Cheese

Directions

  1. Preheat an oven and a deep fryer to 375°F.
  2. Cook elbow pasta according to box instructions, and transfer to a half hotel pan.
  3. Chop pepperoni into large chunks. Render the pepperoni in a medium saucepan. Set the burner to medium high heat, add butter and all-purpose flour to the rendered pepperoni, whisk until smooth. Cook the flour mixture for 2 minutes.
  4. Whisk milk into the flour mixture, season with salt, pepper, and bring to a light boil. Reduce to a simmer, whisking gradually until sauce thickens. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in all cheeses into the sauce.
  5. Fold the sauce into the pasta and bake in the oven for 7 minutes or until the top is golden. Refrigerate the cooked pasta for 4 hours or overnight.
  6. Transfer the chilled block of mac & cheese to a cutting board. Cut the arancini into 1-inch by 1-inch cubes.
  7. Using the standard breading procedure, dredge the cold arancini cubes into the seasoned flour, then the eggs, and then into the panko bread crumbs. Fry the arancini cubes for 3 minutes or until golden brown; top each arancini with microgreens before serving.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Assoluti® Pasta, Elbow Macaroni
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • Brilliance® Premium Oils Vegetable Oil, for frying
  • 1 quart flour, seasoned
  • microgreens, for garnish
  • 4 tbsp Nature's Best Dairy® Butter, unsalted
  • 3 Nature's Best Dairy® Egg(s), whisked together
  • 24 oz Nature's Best Dairy® Milk, Whole
  • 1 quart panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 1/2 cups Roma® Cheese Grated, Parmesan
  • 3 1/2 cups Roma® Cheese, Mozzarella, grated
  • 1/4 cup Roma® Cheese, Provolone, grated
  • 1/4 cup Roma® Cheese Shredded, Cheddar
  • 1 cup Roma® Pepperoni, chopped
  • 1 tsp salt, kosher
  • 1/2 cup West Creek® Flour