Potato Skin Bites

Is everyone recovering from their Christmas celebrations? I know I am. Every Christmas there are so many left overs! I can only have left overs one or two times before I am totally sick of them. Mashed potatoes are one of my favorite foods so whenever I find a recipe that lets me use them I do a happy dance inside because I can eat them and change them so the don't feel like leftovers. I have become pseudo famous for making these golden balls of goodness over the last few years. They are super easy to make and are always a hit!

These little balls of goodness have every amazing part of a potato skin. Bacon, cheddar, yummy dipping sauce. What more can you ask for in an appetizer? Want to know something even better? You can use left over mashed potatoes! You can even make them up to two days in advance before baking or frying. You can use any dipping sauce with these. I prefer home made ranch dipping sauce, but you can use whatever you prefer. Sour cream would also be great! I typically fry these, but in an effort to "healthify" these a bit more than usual I baked them for the first time. They were amazing! If you want to bake them, spray with cooking spray and omit oil in recipe. 

Potato Skin Bites

• Ingredients:
• 2 cups mashed potatoes, use leftovers or made fresh from 4 medium potatoes
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 1 bunch scallions, sliced
• 2 eggs
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups dried potato flakes
• Canola oil, for frying ( omit if baking)

Ingredients:

In a large bowl, combine cooled mashed potatoes, cheddar cheese, scallions, eggs, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Mix well.

Pour the potato flakes into a shallow dish and place next to your bowl. With a small ice cream scoop or teaspoon, dollop the potato mixture on the potato flakes. Roll them around in the potato flakes so each mashed potato ball gets thoroughly coated (they should each be about an inch in diameter). Set the coated potato balls aside on a plate and repeat with the rest of the potato mixture (you should have about 30 pieces). Once your potatoes are all rolled they can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 2 days.

In a medium-size pot over medium-high heat, add enough canola oil to go two inches up the side of the pot. Let the oil heat up to 375°F -- when you put a ball in, it should sizzle but not get dark right away. Fry the potato balls a few at a time, making sure not to crowd the pot. Once they are golden brown on all sides, remove with a slotted spoon and place them on a paper towel-lined plate to drain the excess oil. Repeat until all the potato balls are fried. (If you aren't serving them right away or are bringing them somewhere, pack them up gently or place them on a baking sheet. Right before serving, place them in a 400°F oven, uncovered, for about 5 minutes or until they are heated through and crisp.

If you prefer to bake them, set oven to 400F, spray with cooking spray and bake for 20 minutes then flip for an additional 10 minutes or until brown.

And here was my little helper this Christmas!!

Meatball the Wonder Pug!