Cheese Croquettes with Ricotta and Walnuts

Preheat to 365. Middle rack. That’s the whole setup. Cheese croquettes come together in 30 minutes total — 12 prepping, 18 in the oven and under the broiler. They’re crispy outside, soft inside, and somehow taste way more complicated than they actually are.

Why You’ll Love These Vegetarian Appetizers

Takes half an hour start to finish. The ricotta and smoked mozzarella combo works because they melt differently — one goes creamy, one goes brown and stringy, and somehow that matters. Walnuts give it texture. Not nuts-in-a-salad texture. Crunch that stays inside the croquette. Make them ahead. Refrigerate. Bake later. The cold mixture holds its shape better anyway. Feeds a crowd or just you. They’re an appetizer but also not small enough to feel like you’re eating nothing.

What You Need for Ricotta Mozzarella Croquettes

Ricotta cheese — half a cup. Not a lot. The texture matters more than the amount.

Smoked mozzarella. Grated. Regular mozzarella tastes flat next to it. The smoke does something.

Breadcrumbs — the kind in a can, not panko. They compress better when you’re forming things.

Green onions. Two of them, chopped up. White and green parts both.

Walnuts — a half cup, chopped fine. Not powder. Not chunks. In between.

Fresh thyme and parsley. A teaspoon and two teaspoons respectively. Dried doesn’t work the same way. Just doesn’t.

One egg, beaten. Binds everything.

Ground cumin. A pinch. Sounds odd with cheese. Isn’t.

Salt and pepper. Taste as you go.

How to Make Cheese Croquettes with Smoked Mozzarella and Walnuts

Get the oven going — 365 degrees, rack in the middle. It needs to preheat while you work.

Dump the ricotta, smoked mozzarella, breadcrumbs, green onions, walnuts, thyme, parsley, cumin, and beaten egg into a bowl. Mix it. Not with a machine. A fork or wooden spoon works fine. You’re just combining things, not whipping air into it. Salt and pepper. Taste it. Adjust. Sounds weird but you need to know if it’s enough salt before you bake it because seasoning from the outside doesn’t penetrate the same way.

The mixture should hold together when you squeeze it. If it’s too wet, add a tablespoon more breadcrumbs. If it’s too dry, crack in another half egg.

How to Get Crispy Walnut and Mozzarella Croquettes

Form four croquettes. Even-sized. Takes maybe three minutes of handling. They don’t need to be perfect — slightly irregular actually looks better. Space them on a greased baking sheet. Not touching.

Bake for about 15 minutes. They firm up. The outside sets. The cheese inside is still melting but the structure holds.

Then flip the oven to broil. Three to four minutes under the broiler — watch it. The mozzarella browns fast. The second you see golden brown on top, pull them out. The walnuts inside are already toasted. The ricotta is already soft. You’re just browning the cheese layer. Leave it too long and it gets bitter.

Ricotta Croquettes Tips and Common Mistakes

Cold mixture shapes better than warm. If you’re impatient, refrigerate for five minutes after mixing. Changes everything about how the croquettes hold together.

The broil step is non-negotiable. Baking alone leaves the top pale. The broiler creates that actual crust that makes it feel less like a ricotta ball and more like something intentional.

Forgot to space them? They’ll fuse together slightly. Doesn’t ruin it. Just means they’re harder to separate. Do it next time.

Don’t use pre-shredded smoked mozzarella if you can help it. It has anti-caking powder. Shred it yourself. Three minutes with a box grater. Worth it.

Cheese Croquettes with Ricotta and Walnuts

By Emma

Prep:

12 min

Cook:

18 min

Total:

30 min

Servings:

4 servings

Ingredients

• 120 ml (1/2 cup) ricotta cheese
• 310 ml (1 1/4 cup) smoked mozzarella, grated
• 100 ml (1/2 cup) breadcrumbs
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 125 ml (1/2 cup) walnuts, finely chopped
• 5 ml (1 teaspoon) fresh thyme, chopped
• 10 ml (2 teaspoons) fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 pinch ground cumin
• 1 egg, beaten
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. 1 Set the oven rack in the middle position. Preheat oven to 185°C (365°F).
2. 2 Mix ricotta, smoked mozzarella, breadcrumbs, green onions, walnuts, thyme, parsley, ground cumin, and beaten egg in a bowl. Salt and pepper to taste.
3. 3 Form mixture into 4 even croquettes. Arrange on a greased baking sheet, spacing apart.
4. 4 Bake for about 15 minutes until firm on the outside.
5. 5 Switch oven to broil. Broil croquettes 3-4 minutes until golden brown on top.
6. 6 Serve with fresh green salad or grilled seasonal vegetables such as asparagus, zucchini, or bell peppers.

Nutritional information

Calories

320

Protein

15g

Carbs

10g

Fat

25g

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Frequently Asked Questions About Vegetarian Cheese Appetizers

Can I make these ahead? Yes. Mix everything, form the croquettes, refrigerate overnight. Bake straight from the fridge. Takes the same time. Actually comes out more stable.

What if I don’t have smoked mozzarella? Regular mozzarella works but it’s blander. You could add a half teaspoon of smoked paprika to compensate. Not the same. But fine.

Can I freeze them? Yeah. Freeze after forming, before baking. Bake from frozen — add three or four minutes to the first bake. Still works.

How many does this actually make? Four. Good-sized ones. Appetizer-sized means you eat two and it feels like you had something.

Do I have to broil them? The oven alone gets them cooked but not brown on top. If you skip broil, lower the temperature to 350 and bake for 20 instead. Different result. Less crisp. More even cooking.

What goes with them? Green salad. Grilled vegetables — asparagus, zucchini, bell peppers. Something light because the croquettes are already rich from the cheese and walnuts.

Why does the cumin work? Not entirely sure. It just does. Adds something savory that cheese alone doesn’t have. Try it once and you’ll taste why.