Babybel minis, used in a whole new way: cheesy potato poppers!
While perusing the aisles of the supermarket, do your eyes ever fall upon those mozzarella sticks and poppers tempting you from the freezer section? While not the healthiest choice, fried cheesy goodness is often hard to resist, especially when there’s not much work involved. For all cheese lovers out there, here is something to consider: make your own poppers, right at home! This dangerously delicious recipe beats anything you might buy from the freezer. Better yet, you discover a whole new way to enjoy those delightfully cute Babybel cheese bites!
You will need:
- 4 Babybel cheese wheels
- 2 large red onions
- 8 tbsp. mashed potatoes
- 2 tbsp. basil pesto (for a homemade option, see recipe below)
- 2 eggs
- flour
- breadcrumbs
- vegetable oil
Here's how:
- The fun part comes at the very beginning: remove the wax from the Babybel cheese minis. Now cut the onions into wide, thick rings, and separate from one another. It's important that the rings are wide enough to hold a single cheese wheel. At least two rings per onion should be adequate.
- Spoon the pesto into the mashed potatoes and mix well.
- Transfer one tbsp. of pesto mashed potatoes to each red onion ring.
- Press one mini cheese wheel into each potato-filled onion ring. Now add another spoonful of potatoes on top of the cheese so that the onion ring is filled to the rim. Smooth the top layer of potatoes with the back of the spoon, and freeze for 30 minutes.
- Now it's time to bread the rings: dip each one in flour, then egg, and finally breadcrumbs. If you prefer your poppers extra crispy, then the rings can go for a second swim in the egg and breadcrumbs.
- Finally, fry the rings in a pot of vegetable oil.
How to make basil pesto:
You will need: 2 oz pine nuts, 2 garlic cloves, 3 bundles of fresh basil, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1 cup olive oil, 3/4 cup grated parmesan
Here's how: roast the pine nuts without oil in a pan and then let cool. Put the chopped garlic, basil leaves, and salt into a mixer and pulverize together. Pour in the oil and mix again. Lastly, add the parmesan and mix once more. This yummy homemade pesto keeps for 3-4 days if refrigerated, and tastes fresh and delicious!
These bites certainly will not last for long. Needless to say, frozen alternatives simply cannot compare. The size of Babybel cheese wheels are perfect for such a recipe, and one has to wonder why nobody thought of this amazing idea before! Enjoy!