Cheesy Mac-N-Shrimp Balls #RSC

Ready, Set, Cook! Hidden Valley Contest Entry. These Mac-n-Shrimp Balls are made from the popular macaroni or elbow pasta along with succulent shrimp, in a creamy ranch sauce with lots of Parmesan cheese, flavored with a hint of lemon zest and nutmeg to keep your guest guessing. This mixture is then coated in bread crumbs and baked until golden-brown, to make perfect bite-sized appetizers that are sure to win hearts!!

• Ready In: 2 hrs
• Serves: 4
• Yields: 20 balls

Ingredients

• 3⁄4 cup macaroni, uncooked
• 8  ounces shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 3⁄4 cup  Hidden Valley® Original Ranch® Dressing
• 1⁄2 cup shallot, finely chopped
• 3⁄4 tablespoon garlic, minced
• 3  slices bacon
• 2  tablespoons  Greek yogurt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1  pinch nutmeg
• 1  cup parmesan cheese, shredded
• 1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons  oil
• 2  slices  bread
• 3  cups  breadcrumbs
• 1  egg
•  salt
•  cooking spray

Directions

1. Cook macaroni as per the directions on the box.
2. Take about 1 cup of cooked macaroni and pulse in the food processor once and keep it aside.
3. Take a heavy bottomed nonstick pan and cook the bacon until crisp.
4. Retain the fat in the pan and take the bacon and transfer onto a kitchen towel, once the bacon cools finely chop it.
5. Add the cleaned shrimp to the pan and cook for 3 minutes in the bacon fat. Season with salt.
6. Transfer the cooked shrimp to cutting board and give them a rough chop.
7. Add oil to the pan and stir in the finely chopped shallots and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes.
8. Take it off the heat and transfer it to a bowl.
9. Mix in ranch, parmesan cheese, cooked macaroni (both chopped and whole), chopped shrimp, black pepper, lemon zest, nutmeg and chopped bacon and cheese.
10. Cover and refrigerate the macaroni mixture for 1 hour.
11. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
12. Take 2 slices of bread and pulse them in the food processor until they look like bread crumbs.
13. Add the fresh bread crumbs to the macaroni mixture and form golf ball sized balls out of the mixture.
14. Take 2 bowls, one a beaten egg and other with breadcrumbs.
15. Dip the macaroni balls in egg and then coat them with the breadcrumbs.
16. Arrange the balls on a baking tray and spray oil on them and bake for 25 minutes turning then every 10 minutes.
17. Serve hot.