I’ve been sharing some of my favorite football snacks with you this week. Here’s the final installment! You can find the other recipes here and here.
Are you guys ready for the Super Bowl? I can’t believe it’s almost here. This football season seemed to go by quickly!
Philadelphia Eagles fans had quite a season this year. Lots of ups and downs. The rise of a new quarterback star. The heart-wrenching disappointment of this year not being “our year.” Overall, though, it was a fun, action-packed season. Which is why I suppose it went by so fast.
Even though my team isn’t playing on Sunday, I still think it’s totally appropriate to make a ton of fun snacks and get together with friends. If for nothing else, do it to watch the commercials. I love the Super Bowl commercials. They really make the whole experience. This is coming from someone who hasn’t watched her team play in the Super Bowl in many moons. Womp womp.
To round out my week of football snacks, I made you some smoked gouda-ricotta fritters. They are fan-friggin-tastic. Even if you aren’t celebrating the Super Bowl this year, these must be made at some point! They are smoky, super cheesy, creamy, and crunchy…and the sauce just takes them over the top. I love smoked cheese. It’s definitely a newer thing for me, but I think it adds such an interesting flavor element to many dishes. It is an acquired taste, for sure.
My husband is NOT the biggest fan of smoked cheese, so I have to be careful when I cook with it. These fritters are smoky but not OVERWHELMINGLY so. The creaminess of the ricotta helps with that.
As I mentioned recently, I do not deep fry things at home very often, but I already had my pot of oil set up from those incredible buffalo chicken wontons, so I thought I may as well fry a few things to make good use of the hassle. I’m so glad I decided to try these. They rock.
For all of you who will be watching the game (or just the commercials), enjoy! I’ll be working in a distant time zone during the Super Bowl and may not get to see the action. I will, however, make sure to fry up some of these delicious cheese fritters when I am watching the recorded game next week. In fact, I think I’m going to pretend like it’s live and eat ALL the snacks I made for you this week. I can’t wait.
Smoked Gouda Fritters with Balsamic Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce
(makes 8-10 servings)
For the Fritters:
1 (15-oz) container whole milk ricotta
1 cup shredded smoked gouda
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1 cup flour
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups seasoned breadcrumbs
Canola oil, for frying
For the Dipping Sauce:
⅓ cup Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons grainy mustard
2 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
Salt and pepper, to taste
For the Fritters:
Combine the cheeses in a large mixing bowl. Mix well. Scoop approximately 1 tablespoon of the mixture into hand and roll gently into a ball. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining filling. Once all fritters are formed, place the tray in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.
Remove from tray and dredge each fritter in the flour, then the eggs, and finally the breadcrumbs. Repeat with all fritters and return to the baking sheet. Freeze for at least 30 minutes (frozen fritters can be stored in plastic bags and fried whenever you need them).
Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot until temperature reaches about 350°F. Working in batches, place the chilled fritters in the hot oil and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown on all sides. Remove from oil and immediately sprinkle with salt. Repeat until all fritters are fried. Serve fritters warm with dipping sauce.
For the Dipping Sauce:
While the fritters are chilling, mix all ingredients for the dipping sauce together in a bowl. Set aside until ready to serve.
Inspired by this recipe.
Hi There. I'm Molly. I'm a food-obsessed, self-taught cook and I can't wait to share my passion for all things culinary with you. My love for egg yolks is just the tip of the iceberg!
Molly, these look amaaaaazzzing! I pinned them to my “when it’s time to splurge” Pinterest board. Happy to find your blog via Foodgawker. My “spaetzle with caramelized onions” pic was just above and to the left of your fritters. Cheers! Lisa
Thanks so much, Lisa! These fritters are definitely an indulgence but so worth it. Let me know if you try them out! Thanks for stopping by!
This might be the best version of cheesesticks ever.
Can you explain what grainy mustard is? I’ve never heard of it before! THANKS!
Hi Anna. It’s whole grain mustard. Instead of being completely smooth, it has whole mustard seeds throughout. It’s really delicious (and has a great texture). It can be found in the mustard section of the grocery store!
About how many cups of oil will I need?
Have you tried this recipe using other cheeses?
Do you let the ricotta drain before using, maybe using cheese cloth?
Please let me know asap because I would like to make them this week for a party.
Thanks. They look really yummy!
Hi Liza! Thanks for the questions. As for the oil, it really depends on the size pot you are using; different sized pots will require different quantities of oil. Basically, you need enough oil for there to be a few inches in the pot. Maybe test out with water in the pot you plan to use: fill the pot with water until it’s a few inches high and then measure out how many cups that will total. Sorry if that’s vague, but I am not sure how much each pot requires. Secondly, as long as you are using whole milk ricotta, you shouldn’t have to strain it (lower fat cheese often has higher water content). I’ve made these several times and never had any trouble with there being too much moisture in the filling. And you can swap out the other cheeses for any other hard/semi-hard cheeses you like. Cheddar, gruyere, swiss, fontina, etc. would all be great here in place of the other cheeses. Hope this helps and that you enjoy the fritters!
Can you fry these in advance and then reheat them in the oven when ready to serve? They look delicious!
Hi Karen. You probably can, although I’ve never tried it and would hate to lead you astray. They are, of course, best eaten fresh out of the oil, but I understand completely how that isn’t always feasible with company 🙂 Maybe do a test run with a small batch? Good luck! Let me know how it goes!
Can you use the air fryer for these instead of frying in oil?
Hi Trina, I’ve never tried it so I’m really not sure. If you try it out, please let me know how it works out!
This looks so good! What a great appetizer to make for a crowd!
Thanks for sharing! How far ahead of time can I make it?
Like most fried things, these really should be eaten right away. That said, you could mix up the cheese mixture and keep it in the fridge for a couple days ahead. The actual process of frying them should be done just before eating.