Mortadella Meatballs
Mortadella Meatballs with potatoes are tasty fritters ideal for serving as an appetizer or main course, simple to prepare and ready in a few minutes.
These are crispy fried or oven-baked bites made from mashed boiled potatoes, eggs, and Parmesan with finely chopped mortadella in the batter, making them super flavorful and appetizing.
A delicious version of potato croquettes that can be presented as finger food, perhaps skewered on a stick, during a standing buffet or aperitif.
To prepare the Mortadella Meatballs with potatoes, you will need just a few simple ingredients that, once mixed and shaped into balls or croquettes, you’ll coat in breadcrumbs and drop into hot oil for a fantastic result.
Once ready, you can serve them hot or at room temperature, accompanied by a fresh salad or enhance their taste by dipping them in a delicate homemade sauce made of Greek yogurt and paprika.
If you prefer, instead of boiled potatoes, you can use potato flakes or instant mash or even stale bread softened with milk, and for the more indulgent, add extra ingredients like cheese cubes, chopped olives, sun-dried tomatoes, or aromatic herbs.
For a light version, you can bake the mortadella and potato croquettes in the oven at 356°F until golden or use an air fryer for a super crispy result without added fats.
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- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Frying, Air Frying, Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 706.96 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 23.47 (g) of which sugars 1.44 (g)
- Proteins 13.18 (g)
- Fat 63.08 (g) of which saturated 10.19 (g)of which unsaturated 49.21 (g)
- Fibers 1.75 (g)
- Sodium 630.65 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 80 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
- 1.1 lbs potatoes, with skin, cooked, boiled
- 10.5 oz Mortadella di Bologna
- 3.5 oz grated Parmesan cheese
- to taste salt
- 1 pinch black pepper
- 2 eggs
- 7 oz breadcrumbs
- 2 cups sunflower seed oil
Tools
- Frying Pan
- Pot
- Bowl
Steps
Wash the potatoes and boil them with the skin in a pot with plenty of salted water for about 40 minutes (if they are the same size, it’s better for uniform cooking). Check with a fork to see if they are tender before removing them from the heat.
Meanwhile, cut the mortadella first into strips and then into tiny cubes. When the potatoes are cooked, drain them, remove the skin, and then mash them with a fork or pass them through a potato masher while still warm. Place them in a bowl, add the grated cheese, season with salt and pepper, and mix all the ingredients well. Finally, add the mortadella and mix again.
Prepare two plates, in one you’ll place a beaten egg, and in the other some breadcrumbs. At this point, take a portion of the mixture and shape it with your hands into balls or croquettes each weighing about 1.2 oz. Then, pass them first in the beaten egg and then in the breadcrumbs. Meanwhile, heat the sunflower oil in a wide pan until it reaches a temperature of 347°F.
When the oil has reached the right temperature (I recommend always having a kitchen thermometer, which you can easily find online or in specialist stores), fry the mortadella meatballs. They should become nicely golden on the outside. Drain them with a slotted spoon and place them on a plate with a paper towel to remove excess oil. The mortadella and potato croquettes are ready, serve them hot.
NOTES
The potatoes should be boiled at the moment you decide to use them; if you boil them in advance, they may become sticky.
This recipe is very simple, the only thing you need to pay attention to is the cooking to prevent the croquettes from opening or breaking during frying. To avoid this, it is important that the oil temperature is around 347°F and that the meatballs are evenly breaded.
For this preparation, I recommend using potatoes with low water content: therefore, opt for floury yellow or red-fleshed potatoes.
STORAGE
Once fried, Mortadella and potato croquettes should be consumed immediately to maintain their crunchiness. If any are left over, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one day, and before eating, heat them under the grill for a few minutes. Alternatively, you can store them raw (before frying) in a container or tray and place them in the freezer.
