The Magical Ingredients for a Wholesome Life From the Heart of my Home: Fried Spinach Artichoke Cheese Balls

This is the best finger food for your game day whether you enjoy it with your family or invite friends over to watch the game. This is a crowd pleaser! Cheesy or fried foods are always most welcome during game days and this is the perfect choice! While it is loaded with tons of cheese, it is equally loaded with spinach and artichokes making it more nutritious too! Serve this melt in mouth cheese appetizer with marinara for the fun game party!

This cheese ball is made with cream cheese, ricotta, vegan parmesan (regular parmesan can be used too), and shredded mozzarella cheese. Tons of cheese! This fried cheese ball, with melting, ooey, gooey, stringy cheese is the most amazing fun food. Who can resist that?

If you love Spinach or Baby Greens and Artichoke Dip, then you'll love this too! It is more amazing! Cheese balls, breaded, and deep-fried... sounds like marriage in heaven! Yes, it is! Tons of flavors!

I love to saute fresh spinach to remove moisture and then use. My friend SL, shared her homegrown, organic spinach and I used it to make this appetizer/snack! Great use for the fresh bounty and it added to the flavors! Fresh is always best. Frozen spinach can also be used after squeezing extra water out of it. If more water is present, then shaping may be difficult and it would become a mess when you deep fry. So, better to remove moisture, for a perfect result!

This requires a little planning. It is important to refrigerate the cheese mixture. This enables shaping them and after this step, it is better to freeze the cheese balls for an hour. Otherwise, it may not hold shape and uniform shape may not be possible.

This recipe uses aquafaba instead of eggs. It is better to roll the cheese balls in flour, followed by aquafaba, bread crumbs, and then repeat the aquafaba and breadcrumb once more for best coating. This ensures that while frying, the balls won't break apart easily. It is enough to fry the balls for about 3 minutes on medium flame and not more than that. Else, the balls will begin to crack open and the cheese will ooze out. This 3 minute frying gives a perfect gooey and stringy cheese ball.

In case you are making this ahead (well, that helps when you are hosting or taking it to friends place), then warm it in the oven just enough to heat it through without the cheese mixture breaking down. After frying, if refrigerated or frozen, heat in the oven for 4-5 minutes, until heated through.

Game day calls for fun and crowd pleasing recipes. Just like these cheese balls, Vegan Baby Buffalo potatoes, and Paneer Tikka Poutine are amazing choices for game day that fills the tummy easily. I always prefer to make this Chatpata Paneer Chole 7-Layer Dip and Cauliflower Pakora that will feed a crowd easily! Taco Style Stuffed Mini Peppers and Zucchini Nachos are healthy choices too!

There is always a demand for new and fun recipes for #GameDay and Jolene is hosting a #FootballFood event in our Festive Foodies group, and we are sharing fun and delicious recipes to make on game day! This delicious fried spinach artichoke cheese balls is my recipe to share. This is YUM!

Ingredients

Makes 22-24

Spinach - 3 cups, chopped

Onion - 1/3 cup, chopped

Garlic - 1 tbsp, finely chopped

Oil - 1 tbsp

Artichoke hearts - 1 cup, from canned, drained, chopped

Ricotta cheese - 1/2 cup

Chream cheese - 1/2 cup

Vegan parmesan - 2 tbsp

Mozzarella cheese - 2 cups

Almond flour - 2 tbsp

Chili flakes - 1 tbsp

Black pepper - 1/2 tsp

Salt - 1/4 tsp

For Frying

Oil - 3 to 4 cups

Aquafaba - 1 cup

All-purpose flour - 3-4 tbsp

Bread crumbs - 1 cup

Method

Heat oil in a pan on medium flame, add the garlic and onions, saute for 3-4 minutes. Add the chopped spinach and cook for about 3-4 minutes. The spinach will wilt and cook down.

Add the spinach to a bowl and cool. Then add all the rest of the ingrediens and mix thoroughly. Refrigerate for an hour.

Scoop about scant 2 tablespoons or between one and a half to two tablespoons, as per the size of the ball desired, roll into a ball, place in a cookie sheet and freeze for an hour.

After an hour, take the cheese balls out of freezer, dust in flour completely. Dip in aquafaba followed by rolling in bread crumbs and repeat this step again.

Heat oil on medium flame, carefully drop the breaded cheese balls into hot oil and fry fro 2-3 minutes. Drain in paper towel. Fry the rest of the cheese balls too.