21 Day Fix Recipe: Cheddar Cheese Stuffed Mashed Potato Balls

I was on Pinterest (when am I not?) and stumbled across this wonderful recipe about Loaded Mashed Potato Balls with Bacon Bits.

Holy. Yum.

And the picture? It's delicious! Go look. Seriously. I'll wait.

Wiped the drool from your face? Good.

I can't have them how she made them (1/2 a pound of bacon? Cubed cheese might be tasty... All I had was shredded). But I can have them how I've made them! Below is an adaptation I came up with when I got home from work. We had leftover mashed red potatoes, some turkey bacon in the fridge, and, of course, cheddar cheese all on hand. The only eggs we had were all hard boiled so I made do with Greek yogurt as a binder.

The balls were pretty messy when I was making them. I think I could have made them less messy, somehow... I'll just have to experiment some more, won't I? :)

(NOM NOM NOM!!! My picture.)

Cheddar Cheese Stuffed Mashed Potato Balls

Yield: 6 Balls, 2 per serving

• 3 Yellow containers of mashed potatoes (leftovers are perfect; I used red potatoes)
• 1 Red container of turkey bacon ([4 slices] cooked, cooled, and diced into bacon bits)
• 1 Tbsp Greek Yogurt (1/4 Red [optional])
• 1 Blue container of Cheddar Cheese, shredded
• Optional FREE additions: onion powder, garlic powder, pepper, chives or green onions
• Optional: take another blue container of cheese and top each ball after they've heated through with a pinch -- put them under the broiler and crisp it up!

1. Preheat your oven to 350F.
2. Take your cooled mashed potatoes and add the Greek yogurt, if needed. (if you’re adding your free ingredients, do so now.) Mix the potatoes so there’s no lumps and they are malleable. Separate into six equal sized balls.
3. Take the first ball in the palm of your hand. Form a hole in the middle, like a birds nest. Take a pinch of cheese and put it in the middle. Smooth over the potatoes so they form a seal over the cheese. Continue this process with the remaining five balls.
4. Once all the balls are formed, roll each one gently through the bacon bits. You should have enough bacon for all six.
5. Place the finished balls on a cookie sheet. I have a SilPat but you could use parchment paper or just a non-stick cookie sheet.
6. Bake until heated through, about 20-30 minutes. Serve hot.

These are a great side and could be served with steak or grilled chicken and some sauteed or steamed spinach or asparagus.

Cheers!

LC