Avocado Bacon Cheese Bites (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ Filling
01 -
1 cup Pepper Jack cheese, shredded
02 -
½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
03 -
½ cup green onions, sliced
04 -
1 pound bacon, crisp and crumbled
05 -
3 large avocados, diced small
06 -
½ cup diced pickled jalapeños
07 -
¼ cup red onions, diced
08 -
2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
09 -
1 cup Sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
→ Seasonings
10 -
½ teaspoon Cajun seasoning
11 -
1 teaspoon lime juice
12 -
1 teaspoon garlic salt
13 -
½ teaspoon black pepper
→ Coating
14 -
1 egg
15 -
1 cup buttermilk
16 -
2+ cups vegetable oil for frying
17 -
1-2 cups Panko bread crumbs
18 -
1 cup all-purpose flour
# Instructions:
01 -
Cook bacon pieces in a pan until they're crispy. Lay them on a paper towel to drain the grease, cool down, and then crumble them up.
02 -
In a big bowl, beat the cream cheese for a couple of minutes until it's nice and smooth. Toss in all the filling ingredients except for the avocados, mix well, and gently fold in the diced avocados at the end.
03 -
Wrap the bowl with some plastic wrap and let it sit in the fridge for an hour to make it thicker.
04 -
Get three bowls ready — one each for flour, bread crumbs, and a mixture of buttermilk and egg.
05 -
Scoop up the mixture with a tablespoon and roll it into balls. Coat each ball in flour, then dip it into the buttermilk-egg mix, and finish with a roll in the bread crumbs. Set them on a baking sheet that can go in the freezer.
06 -
Pop the coated balls into the freezer for around an hour so they'll hold their shape better during frying.
07 -
In a heavy-duty pan, heat up the oil to 350°F. Fry 6-8 balls at a time, flipping often, until they're golden brown (around 2 minutes). Let the cooked balls rest on paper towels to absorb extra oil.
# Notes:
01 -
Freeze them before frying if you want to prep ahead of time.
02 -
They're best enjoyed warm with any dip you like.
03 -
Make sure to turn the balls repeatedly in the oil so they brown evenly.