Happy 4th of July! Independence Day is almost here, and I created a new appetizer recipe. What is “tirokroketes” you may ask? This is what we call Greek cheese balls that are fried. I have an abundance of jalapenos in the garden, so I did a spicy twist.

I hope you enjoy this tasty appetizer recipe!!

Ingredients:

• 8 oz cream cheese
• 1 cup of feta cheese
• 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2-3 jalapenos, remove seeds, and dice
• 1/4 cup of bacon bits
• Pinch of salt and black pepper
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon of oregano
• 1 teaspoon of paprika
• 1 cup of all-purpose flour
• 1 cup of panko bread crumbs
• Vegetable oil

Method:

1. In a medium bowl mix together the cream cheese, feta, mozzarella, diced jalapenos, and bacon bits.
2. On a baking sheet, line the pan with parchment paper. Gently roll about a tablespoon of the mixture in a ball. Repeat until all mix is used up. Cover the balls with plastic wrap and chill for about 1 hour.
3. Prepare the batter.
4. In a small bowl mix the dried spices, salt, pepper, and flour together. Then add the flour mixture to a large plate.
5. Place the flour on one plate, and the panko crumbs on another plate. Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Set aside.
6. Place the vegetable oil inside a large frying pot. The temperature of the oil should be 350 degrees or 180 Celcius.
7. Remove the cheese balls from the refrigerator, and then prepare them in the batter.
8. Place the ingredients in this order. Left to right- flour mixture, eggs, and then panko bread crumbs.
9. Roll the cheese balls in the flour, then eggs, then panko crumbs. Repeat for all cheese balls.
10. You can fry 2-3 balls at a time. Do a test run on the first one making sure the cheese ball is cooked evenly and golden brown all over.
11. Place cooked cheese balls on a plate lined with a paper towel to drain the excess oil.
12. Serve with tzatziki dip or a squeeze of fresh lemon.