Crispy Potato Cheese Balls with Ranch Dressing

Ingredients

• 4 large Russet potatoes (peeled and cut into small chunks)
• water (for boiling the potatoes)
• salt (for the potato-boiling water, to taste)
• 0.333 cup cornstarch
• salt (to taste, for the potato mixture)
• 1 tsp black pepper (for the potato mixture)
• 1 tbsp garlic powder (for the potato mixture)
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese (diced into small cubes)
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs (for the dry batter)
• 2 eggs (for the wet batter)
• salt (to taste, for the wet batter)
• 1 tsp black pepper (for the wet batter)
• cooking oil (enough to fill the pan 2–3 inches (5–7.5 cm) deep)
• 0.5 cup mayonnaise (for the ranch dressing)
• 0.333 cup buttermilk (for the ranch dressing)
• 2 tbsp sour cream (for the ranch dressing)
• 1 tbsp dried dill (for the ranch dressing)
• 1 tbsp garlic powder (for the ranch dressing)
• 1 tsp black pepper (for the ranch dressing)
• salt (to taste, for the ranch dressing)
• 1 tsp lemon juice (for the ranch dressing)

Steps

1. 1

   Peel the Russet potatoes and cut them into small chunks.

2. 2

   Place the potato chunks in salted water and boil for 10–15 minutes, until they are fork-tender.

3. 3

   Drain the potatoes and mash them with a potato grater or masher until smooth.

4. 4

   Add the potato-mixture salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and cornstarch to the mashed potatoes. Mix until everything is well combined.

5. 5

   Take 2–3 tablespoons of the potato mixture and flatten it by hand. Place some diced mozzarella in the center, close the potato mixture around the cheese, and shape it into a ball. Repeat with the remaining mixture and cheese.

6. 6

   Place the panko breadcrumbs in a shallow dish to prepare the dry batter.

7. 7

   In a separate shallow dish, whisk together the eggs, wet-batter salt, and black pepper to prepare the wet batter.

8. 8

   Dip each potato ball into the wet batter, coating it completely, then roll it in the panko breadcrumbs until coated. Place each coated ball on a plate or tray and repeat with the remaining balls.

9. 9

   Heat enough cooking oil to fill a deep frying pan or wok 2–3 inches (5–7.5 cm) deep over medium-high heat.

10. 10

    When the oil is hot, add a few potato balls, taking care not to overcrowd the pan. Fry until golden brown, about 3–4 minutes, then repeat with the remaining balls.

11. 11

    Remove the fried potato balls from the oil and place them on a paper-towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.

12. 12

    Make the ranch dressing by whisking the mayonnaise, buttermilk, sour cream, dried dill, garlic powder, black pepper, ranch salt, and lemon juice in a bowl until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

13. 13

    Serve the crispy potato cheese balls hot with the chilled ranch dressing.

Notes

The source specifies 3–4 minutes as the frying time and 10–15 minutes for boiling the potatoes. The amount of frying oil is not specified beyond a depth of 2–3 inches. Ranch dressing should be refrigerated until serving.

Nutrition per serving

• appetizer
• snack
• vegetarian
• potato
• cheese
• deep-fried
• party food
• homemade ranch