Cheese potato balls are a tasty and easy-to-make idea, perfect as a snack for appetizers, to serve at a buffet, or as an appetizer with an extra touch of flavor. Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, these balls are not fried, but cooked lighter in a fan oven or, even better, in an air fryer, with just a drizzle of oil: the result is always excellent. The dough is made with boiled potatoes, flavored with grated Parmesan and Pecorino, for an intense taste vaguely reminiscent of the famous Fonzies. The recipe is simple and does not involve the use of eggs: to bind everything, just a little all-purpose flour or, for a gluten-free version, rice flour. If you are looking for an easy and quick savory snack, cheese potato balls are the perfect solution: they can be made in a few steps and disappear in a flash! Find out in detail how to make them perfectly with both cooking methods.
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- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Cheap
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 50Pieces
- Cooking methods: Air Frying, Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All Seasons
- Energy 187.98 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 29.18 (g) of which sugars 1.20 (g)
- Proteins 6.38 (g)
- Fat 5.62 (g) of which saturated 2.24 (g)of which unsaturated 0.57 (g)
- Fibers 2.91 (g)
- Sodium 598.54 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 100 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for about 50 cheese balls
If you are celiac, you can use fine rice flour instead of all-purpose flour. Ensure it is labeled “gluten-free”.
- 1.1 lbs potatoes
- 1/3 tsp salt
- to taste all-purpose flour (about ⅓ cup; or gluten-free rice flour)
- to taste pepper
- 2 tbsps Parmesan Cheese (grated)
- 2 tbsps Pecorino Romano (grated)
- 3 sprays extra virgin olive oil
Tools
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Potato Masher
- 1 Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Papers
- 1 Oil Sprayer
How to prepare cheese potato balls in air fryer or oven
To prepare the cheese potato balls, start by boiling the potatoes whole and unpeeled in boiling water until tender. For medium-sized potatoes, consider about 40 minutes, 20 minutes after the whistle if using a pressure cooker. If you have a microwave, even better: you can boil the potatoes in the microwave without water as explained in this tutorial. Once cooked, mash them with a potato masher (1) letting the puree fall directly into the bowl. Add salt and pepper (2).
Mix carefully, then add grated parmesan and pecorino (3). Blend them into the potatoes using a spoon, then start adding the flour little by little (4).
Knead with a spoon, then with your hands (5), adding more flour little by little, until you get a homogeneous and fairly firm mixture (6). The amount of flour needed depends on the type of potato used and how much water it absorbed during cooking; I, who cooked the potatoes in the microwave, used about ⅓ cup of flour.
Place the potato balls side by side and spray them with a little oil (9). If you don’t have an oil sprayer you can lightly grease them using a kitchen brush. Cook the cheese balls in the air fryer preheated to 392°F for 8-10 minutes. If using a fan oven, cook them at 428°F for about 15 minutes. In either case, I recommend tossing them briefly halfway through cooking. At the end, you should get golden and crispy balls on the surface (10).
Take them out of the oven and serve immediately. They are excellent as savory snacks to enjoy during happy hour, to serve at a party buffet or refreshment, or even as an unusual appetizer.
Storage
Cheese balls should be served freshly made, as they lose their crispiness over time. If you want to prepare part of the recipe in advance, you can form the balls the night before and store them in the refrigerator, then cook them just before serving.
Tips and Variations
The ratio of Parmesan to Pecorino can be varied as desired.
