Mac and Cheese Egg Rolls
These mac and cheese egg rolls wrap creamy extra-sharp cheddar macaroni inside a crisp fried shell. Ready in 30 minutes, they pair a thick homemade cheese sauce with golden wrappers and BBQ sauce.
Equipment
- Saucepan
- deep fryer
- heavy skillet
Ingredients
- 7 ounces Black Creek Extra Sharp Cheddar (aged 3 years, shredded)
- 2 quarts oil (for frying)
- 8 ounces macaroni noodles
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 10 egg roll wrappers
- BBQ sauce (or your preferred dipping sauce)
Instructions
- Boil the macaroni for the time directed on its package, then drain thoroughly. The noodles should feel tender without falling apart when stirred.
- Make a roux by stirring flour into butter melted over medium heat in a saucepan, then incorporate the milk, lower the heat, and gradually melt in the cheddar. The finished sauce should look smooth and coat a spoon rather than run off like milk.
- Fold the drained macaroni through the cheddar sauce until evenly coated. Look for glossy noodles with sauce tucked into their curves rather than pooling beneath them.
- Bring the frying oil to 375°F in a deep fryer or suitable heavy skillet. A frying thermometer should show the target temperature before any rolls go in.
- Position a wrapper flat on your work surface in a diamond shape. The nearest corner should point directly toward you, with room to fold both side corners inward.
- Measure approximately 1/4 cup of macaroni into the middle and trace all four wrapper edges with water using your fingertips. The border should feel lightly tacky, not soaked.
- Enclose the filling with the nearest corner, tuck both side corners inward, and roll toward the far corner, repeating with the remaining wrappers. Each finished roll should feel snug around the pasta without stretching the dough.
- Lower the rolls into the oil in uncrowded batches and fry for about 3 minutes, until golden brown. The wrappers should develop a crisp, evenly colored surface.
- Lift the cooked rolls onto paper towels to drain, then serve with the BBQ sauce or chosen dipping sauce. The surface should look crisp rather than slick with excess oil.
Notes
Ingredient tip: Keep your stack of unused wrappers under a slightly damp kitchen towel while working so the thin corners stay pliable and do not split during folding.
Texture tip: Allow the cheddar macaroni to cool slightly before scooping it into the wrappers; piping-hot pasta creates steam that softens the dough and can cause leaks.
Cooking options: For an air fryer, brush the rolls lightly with oil and cook at 360°F to 390°F for 6 to 8 minutes, flipping once. For the oven, place oil-brushed rolls seam-side down on a greased wire rack set over a sheet pan and bake at 325°F for 12 minutes, then turn and bake for another 8 to 12 minutes.
Storage and reheating: Refrigerate leftover rolls in a covered container without crowding them, keeping dipping sauces separate. Reheat in an oven or air fryer with space around each roll until hot and crisp again.
Nutrition information is an estimate based on common ingredients and serving sizes. Values may vary depending on brands, portions, and substitutions.