Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups uncooked whole grain elbow macaroni
- 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1 cup 2% milk, divided
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- 5 ounces canned or pouched tuna, drained and flaked
- 1 egg
- 1½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Nonstick cooking spray
- Favorite prepared tartar or marinara sauce for dipping
Instructions
- Cook macaroni according to directions; drain. Add macaroni back to pot, and add cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, ½ cup milk and turmeric; mix well. Add tuna; stir to mix well. Let sit until cool enough to handle with hands.
- While mac-and-cheese is cooling, spray air fryer basket with nonstick cooking spray and preheat it to 400 degrees F for 5 minutes.
- Place remaining ½ cup milk and egg in a small mixing bowl; whisk until well combined. In another small mixing bowl, place panko breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, paprika and garlic powder; mix to combine.
- Using a spoon, scoop about 2 tablespoons of mac-and-cheese and roll tightly into a ball (should make about 12 smaller or 16 bigger balls). Roll each ball in the milk and egg mixture until well-coated, then roll in panko mixture until all sides are coated. Reshape into a firm ball (you may need to squeeze some liquid out to reshape).
- Place balls in air fryer basket and spray each mac-and-cheese ball with nonstick cooking spray. Be sure not to overlap balls (cook in batches, if necessary). Cook for 5 minutes or until golden brown on top; then turn each ball, spray other side with cooking spray and cook for another 4 minutes, or until bites are crispy and golden. Enjoy warm with your choice of sauce.
Notes
Recommended Utensils; Air fryer, pot, spatula, two small mixing bowls, spoon
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 10
- Category: Tuna
Keywords: Tuna, Tuna Recipes, Air Fryer Crispy Mac-and-Cheese Tuna Bites