I've posted a number of different hot cheese ball recipes over the years because it's something our family really loves. I adapt any recipe to what we have on hand or what 'sounds good' in it that evening. This recipe is adaptable as well - especially the cheeses and the seafood you choose to use.
Although it's perfectly wonderful with a can of crab and some baby shrimp in it, I only had salmon, clams and oysters on hand in the pantry... but I had a frozen seafood mix in the deep freezer! Perfect. I used the mixture except I left out the oysters - and picked those out. I adore oysters but you wouldn't want them in this dish as they would overpower the flavor (kind of like why you don't use chicken liver in most dishes - it's a strong, different taste that you have to add only when you want that flavor.)
Seafood Cheese Ball Bites
2 T butter
3 oz cream cheese
1/4 c sour cream
1 T mayonnaise
1 t Old Bay seasoning
1/8 t paprika
1/8 t chili powder
1/4 c cheese, shredded (mozzarella, pepperjack, etc.)
4 t onions, minced
4 t green or red peppers, minced
3 jalapenos, minced and seeded
1 cup seafood of your choice; crab and shrimp being the first choices
2 eggs
1T milk
1 1/2 c Panko or breadcrumbs
oil for frying
Mix the butter, cream cheese, sour cream, and mayonnaise until blended. Add Old Bay seasoning, paprika, and chili powder. Add cheese, onion, peppers, and jalapenos. Add crab and shrimp; mix. I opted (see photos below) to put these into a mini food processor and pulse them to mince and mix.
Roll into small balls; refrigerate for 30 minutes. Beat eggs and milk. Dip the balls into egg mixture; dredge in fine bread crumbs. You can refrigerate or freeze them at this step. Deep fry until golden in hot oil and drain on paper towels.
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| I used a seafood mixture, thawed in the microwave a bit and then blended in a food processor on pulse |
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| The spice, cream cheese, mayo, red pepper and sour cream mixture |
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| Pulsed the seafood, onions, etc. in a mini food processor |
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| Making small balls out of the mixture |
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| Breaded and ready to fry or freeze for a future meal |
