These Cheesy Potato Croquettes are crunchy bites of heaven. Mashed potatoes stuffed with two kinds of cheeses and fried to perfection.
I made these croquettes vegeterian BUT you can totally add diced ham or bacon if you prefer! They make a delicious bite-sized appetizer that's ideal for the holidays or better yet, a fancy cocktail party!
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If you love mashed potatoes, you're going to LOVE these cheesy potato croquettes!
They combine all the best qualities of mashed potatoes but stuffed into one golden brown, crunchy bite.
Think, cheesy "potatoey" dumplings deep fried to crispy perfection.
Plus, they're a food friendly appetizer which is an automatically win-win in my entertaining book.
Make sure to check out these other potato finger food appetizers.
What Is A Croquette Made Of?
A croquette is a type of fried dumpling that is small in size held together with mashed potatoes, bechamel sauce, or some other type of flour thickener.
The binder is mixed with yummy ingredients such as bacon, ham, ground meat, cheese or veggies. The most important fact is that all croquettes are breaded and then DEEP FRIED.
🛒Ingredients
Yes I know it seems like a lot but potatoes are very bland so trust me on this one!
- Potatoes - I prefer Yukon gold but Russet will work too.
- Cheese- I use pecorino romano cheese and smoked gouda cheese for added flavor as opposed to cheddar.
- Chives- Fresh chives are so delicious in potatoes.
- Butter + Sour cream- This makes a buttery, tangy, moist potato that most recipes leave out.
- Egg yolk- This helps to hold the croquettes together.
- Dijon mustard, Maple syrup, Garlic powder & Onion powder- This is where the flavor comes from. You can add any spices you like best but keep the staples.
My herby mayo-free potato salad is also a great side or appetizer to serve a crowd!
🥔How To Make Potato Croquettes
Step 1: Preparing Your Potatoes
We need our potatoes softened and there are three different ways to do this.
*Microwave: This is the method I recommend! To make things easy, just "bake" your potatoes in the microwave if you have one. They will not only soften quicky but they won't absorb all the water from boiling.
Boiling: If you don't have a microwave, the next best thing is boiling your potatoes. To do this, add cold water to a large pot and add in your peeled, largely diced potatoes. Salt the water generously. Bring the water to a boil and boil for 10-15 minutes or until your potatoes are fork-tender. Strain and let the potatoes finish steaming before mashing.
Baking: This takes the longest but will work just as well. To bake your potatoes, prick each potato with a fork a few times and wrap in aluminim foil. Bake for at least 30 minutes at 350 degrees F or until they're fork tender.
Step 2: Mash or Rice Your Potatoes
Your potatoes should be tender enough to mash with your hands or a fork.
Alternatively, you can mash your potatoes using a potato masher or a hand mixer OR you can run them through a food mill/potato ricer. Just make sure not to over mash or mix because your potatoes may turn gummy.
Step 3: Combine and Roll
Add all ingredients to your mashed potatoes and combine thoroughly. Use a mini-ice cream scoop or melon baller and your hands to roll mini balls no larger than the size of a golf ball. Place on parchment paper.
Step 4: Breading Croquettes
Add your eggs, flour and breadcrumbs to three separate shallow bowls and dredge each ball in the flour, followed by the egg and finish by rolling in the breadcrumbs.
Step 5: Frying
Heat 3" of oil in a saucepan to 350-375 degrees F. Add 3-5 croquettes in at a time and fry until golden brown. Serve warm with sauce for dipping.
📃 NOTE: You can print the FULL recipe with all ingredients & detailed instructions below!
The Best Cheeses To Use
Your cheese options are limitless but some are much MUCH better options. The type of cheese you go with can make a HUGE difference.
I chose two cheeses, smoked gouda and pecorino romano cheese both of which bring lots of flavor to the croquettes.
Here are other great cheese substitutions:
- Cheddar (It goes perfectly in my Cheddar Cheese Beer Pretzel Dip)
- Mozzarella (I use this in my Disco Fries)
- Gouda
- Gruyere
- Monterey Jack (like I use in my Taco Dip)
- Fontina
- Colby
- Havarti
Expert Tips
- Use panko breadcrumbs to get extra crispy croquettes.
- Use a thermometer to make sure your oil is hot enough. If it drops too low, your croquettes will be greasy.
- Stuff each croquette with a cheese cube if you want them super cheesy in the middle.
- You can shape your croquette into a cylinder, oval or log shape to make them more traditional like the Italian appetizer.
- Add freshly chopped parsley to your batter in place of the chives.
- Fry in small batches to ensure your oil temperature doesn't drop too low.
- Use Italian seasoned breadcrumbs to add more flavor to the exterior of your croquette.
Dipping Sauce Options
These cheesy croquettes are delicious with the sauce below but you can also serve them with:
- Sour cream
- Garlic aioli
- Ranch
- Honey mustard
Storing Your Croquettes
You can store them in the fridge for up to 4 days sealed tightly. Then reheat on a baking sheet at 350 F until just warmed through.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes bake at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes but they will not come out as crispy or golden brown.
Yes. You may just need to omit some of the ingredients if it's already seasoned like the butter or milk.
Yes but they may not turn out as golden brown or crispy. Make sure to spray them well with cooking spray before frying.
I don't recommend freezing them since potatoes typically do NOT freeze very well because of their moisture content.
👉Other Potato Appetizers You'll Love
CRUNCHY Air Fryer Sweet Potato Chips
Crispy Baked Potato Wedges (Seasoned)
Maple Sweet Potato Rounds with Président® Brie and Walnuts
Mini Cheesy Baked Potatoes Appetizer
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📖 Recipe
Cheesy Potato Croquettes
Ingredients
Croquette Batter
- 14 oz. yukon gold potatoes
- ¼ cup pecorino romano cheese (grated)
- ¼ cup smoked gouda cheese (grated)
- 1 tablespoon freshly chopped chives
- 2 tablespoon butter (melted)
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 1 ½ tablespoon maple syrup
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
Croquette Coating
- 1 egg + splash of water
- ½ cup flour
- 1 cup seasoned panko breadcrumbs
Croquette Sauce
- ½ cup sour cream
- 3 tablespoon milk
- 1 teaspoon horseradish
- 1 teaspoon chopped chives
Instructions
- Prepare your potatoes:Microwave: Rinse and prick your potatoes 6-8 times with a fork. Heat on high in the microwave for 5-10 minutes or until the potato is fork tender. The larger the potato, the longer it will take. Peel the skin when it's cool enough to handle.Boil: Peel and dice your potatoes into large cubes and add to a pot of cold water. Bring it to a boil for 10-15 minutes and strain when the potatoes are fork tender.
- In a large bowl, mash the potatoes with a food mill, masher or potato ricer. You may also be able to do this with your hands or a fork.
- Add the rest of the croquette ingredients to the potatoes and mix together until well combined.
- Use a melon baller or mini ice cream scoop to scoop golf-ball size croquettes using the palms of your hands. Place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Add breadcrumbs, flour and eggs to three separate shallow bowls. Roll croquettes in flour then the eggs and lastly breadcrumbs.
- Preheat oil to 350-370° F.
- Fry your croquettes in small 1-2 minute batches until they're golden brown.
Recipe Notes
- Use panko breadcrumbs to get extra crispy croquettes.
- Use a thermometer to make sure your oil is hot enough. If it isn't your croquettes will be greasy.
- Stuff each potato ball with a cheese cube if you want them super cheesy in the middle.
- You can shape your croquette into a cylinder, oval or log shape to make them more traditional like the Italian appetizer.
- Add freshly chopped parsley to your batter in place of the chives.
- Fry in small batches to ensure your oil temperature doesn't drop too low.
- Use Italian seasoned breadcrumbs to add more flavor to the exterior of your croquette.
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