Buffalo Chicken Cheese Balls ...

I made this recipe from Aaron McCargo Jr over at the Food Network and it is a HUGE hit whenever I make it. Big Daddy won't steer you wrong!

Now I know football season is over, but Share a Spoon asked me for fried goodness this week, and it may be Sunday, but Sabroso Saturday, as always, was looking for some flavor. And a way to stretch the budget. This is pretty decent shot (not quite the healthiest way, but won't hurt once in a while ...)

It's a bit of a stretch for this lazy mom, but it's well worth it, I promise you.

Ingredients:
1 oven roasted chicken from the grocery store
1 /4 c hot sauce (more if you can stand it, me? I can't.)
1 c flour
2 c bread crumbs
2 c shredded cheddar cheese (more or less)
3 eggs

Step One:
Shred that chicken up as best you can. I'm not one for picking apart the meat from the bone, but if it saves me from having to cook it I can shred and pick with the best of them.

Step Two:
Get that chicken into a huge mixing bowl. Add the hot sauce, cheese (and if you follow Big Daddy's recipe you'll want to toss in the scallions/pepper here)

Step Three: (Now I sound like Oso, don't I?)
Now is when you go all "chicken cutlet" on these ingredients. You'll need three small bowls. One for the flour. One for the eggs -- no need to throw 'em all in at once, I did 2, then added a third when it was getting low. And the last one for the bread crumbs. The first time I made these babies I did not have panko bread crumbs, which is what the recipe calls for. I believe I used Italian seasoned ones, or plain, and they came out just as delicioso! Otherwise panko are fine. Either way? This is a messy thing to make.

Can you guess what's next?

Roll yourself a ball of the chicken-cheese-hot sauce mixture and be sure not to touch your eyes. Toss that baby gently into the flour, then dip it fully into the egg, and pick it up to roll around in the bowl of breadcrumbs.

Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

Once you finish making a batch of them, you can pop them into your deep fryer (which I did not have the first time I made them, and I will admit it's MUCH easier that way) or a nice pan of sizzling oil.

Once they're done you can lay them out for display on a plate of paper towels, or towel paper, as I used to say growing up.

They're filling, they're reallllly good, and they actually work as an appetizer, for a potluck, a Superbowl party (think next year!) or whatever you're into these days. March Madness is starting up, right? Go, some team! We've eaten them for dinner here with a steamed veggie on the side to make up for the greasy goodness. Honestly, as "bad" as they are, two or three of them fill you up in a heartbeat, and you'll have plenty leftover, as well.

So, Mangia! And then enjoy!

And head on over to see my girls and check out who else has linked up with them and shared something divine with us. I'm personally dying to check out the Churro recipe, AND some Beignets in time for Mardi Gras!

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