First of all, potatoes are everything! fry them with cheese and seasoning until they are crisp and golden…now you’ve created perfection. This is the perfect crave worthy snack on game day or just a satisfying snack anytime you want something irresistibly crispy.
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Recipe Overview
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 minutes frying in oil vs. 13 minutes in air fryer 400 degrees
- Flash Freeze: 15-20 minutes (optional)
- Total Time: Varies depending on cooking method
What You’ll Need
- Frying Pan or Air Fryer
- Measuring cups & measuring spoons
- Tongs
- Mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 3 cups leftover mashed potatoes
- 3 slices bacon, cooked crispy and crumbled
- 2/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 Tbsp. thinly sliced chives or 1 tbsp dried chives
- 2 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- Pink Himalayan salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 1/3 cups panko bread crumbs
- Vegetable oil, for frying
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine mashed potatoes with cooked bacon, cheddar, chives, and garlic powder, and season with salt and pepper. Stir until all ingredients are incorporated.
- Whisk eggs in a separate bowl and add breadcrumbs to a shallow dish or bowl as well.
- Use a cookie scoop 1-2″ to scoop the mixture, round out each scoop and coat in egg, then coat in panko.
- Place prepared potato balls on a plate or cookie sheet and flash freeze for 15-20 minutes in the freezer to avoid having them go flat
- Heat 3″ of oil on med-hi. Fry potato balls for 2-3 minutes or until perfectly golden. Transfer to a cooling rack and lightly salt
Tips & Optional Variations
- Make homemade mashed potatoes instead. Recipe listed below.
- Skip the bacon, use a little leftover ground beef, or thinly diced ham instead, Or no meat at all!
- Air fry instead of using oil. Heat air fryer to 400 degrees, lightly spray potato balls with cooking spray or oil, crisp for 13 minutes. Remove and lightly salt
- Serve with a chipotle sauce for a nice kick or use your favorite dipping sauce.
- 💡Salt lightly when adding to your mashed potatoes. You likely used salt when preparing them the first time and shredded cheese and bacon can be very salty as well. Remember that you can always salt them when you eat them. Better to add later than to be over salted and inedible.
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Homemade Mashed Potato Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 lb. bag Yukon Gold potatoes
- 1/4 cup milk
- salt& pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1/4 cup sour cream
Instructions
- Peel and cut potatoes into fourths
- Add potatoes to a large pot of water and boil until fork tender
- Drain water from potatoes and return them to the large pot (no heat) or a large mixing bowl.
- Add milk, butter, sour cream, salt, and pepper
- Mash with a potato masher until there are no lumps
- Add 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, mix well and set aside
Final Thoughts✨
Whenever I make homemade mashed potatoes, I tend to overestimate the number of potatoes I actually need to use. Are there ever really too many potatoes though? Nonetheless, I store them in the fridge and try to come up with other ways to use them rather than tossing them after all that hard work. This is my all-time favorite leftover hack and it’s truly worth the little bit of time it takes to make these golden delicious little potato bites. Try them and let me know what you think! if you try something new while making them, I would love to hear your suggestions. – Hey Ivy🌿