Cheesy Garlic Parmesan Potato Balls

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My pregnant wife looked at me and told me she was craving balls. And no, not those ones (unfortunately for me). Crispy, golden, fried potato balls with fluffy mashed potato on the outside and mozzarella melted in the middle. That kind.

So yeah. Different kind of craving!!

Now I had never made these before so it was just me, a craving I didn’t fully understand, and the pressure of not screwing up food for a pregnant woman. No big deal at allll.

I went down a bit of a rabbit hole and honestly?? Everyone kind of does the same thing, but not really. Different binders, different cheeses, different methods. So naturally I took a little from here, a little from there, and then convinced myself I could do it better. I think I did. My wife agreed. That’s basically a Michelin star in this house.

These are pretty easy but there are a couple things you absolutely cannot skip if you want them to come out right and not end up as a pile of greasy cheese-leaking potato slop. (Which would still taste amazing. But still.)

First — chill your balls. I cannot stress this enough!! Minimum 45 minutes in the freezer, no skipping, no shortcuts. It firms everything up and stops the cheese from blowing out the second it hits the oil. Just do it.

Second — oil temp. 350°F–375°F. Get a thermometer. Anything under 315 and you’re cooked — and not in the good way.

Third — cornstarch and parmesan are your binders. Cornstarch pulls the moisture out. Parmesan holds everything together and makes it taste incredible. Don’t skip either one.

And that’s it!! Recipe below. So if your wife ever looks at you and says she’s craving balls… now you know exactly what to do.

• Potato masher/ricer

• 8 gold potatoes, peeled and cubed — you can get away with using russets here, but I would recommend gold since they are creamier and easier to shape.

• 1/2 cup of cornstarch — very important!!

• 1 tbsp paprika

• 1 tbsp garlic powder

• 2 tsp onion powder

• 2 tsp salt (plus more for boiling water)

• 2 tsp pepper

• 1/2 cup grated parmesan (plus more to top)

• 3 tbsp parsley (optional)

• 16 oz mozzarella, cut into small cubes, about 1" x 1"

• Oil to fry. I use vegetable

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