Cheesy Leftover Mashed Potato Cups Recipe 435

Steps:

• Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 10-15 minutes or until tender. Drain. , In a large bowl, mash potatoes, milk, butter, salt and pepper until smooth. Stir in 1-1/3 cups cheese. Grease two 6-portion muffin pans; divide potato mixture between pans. Sprinkle with remaining cheese; top with parsley. , Cover and freeze one pan for up to 3 months. Bake the remaining pan, uncovered, at 350° for 15-20 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted., To use frozen potato cups: Thaw in the refrigerator. Bake as directed.

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 400°F and lightly grease the cups of a mini-muffin tin. Whisk together the mashed potatoes, the eggs, 3/4 cup of cheese, the chives, and ham. Season, if necessary, with salt and pepper. The seasoning will depend on how seasoned your mashed potatoes were to begin with. Mound a spoonful of the mixture in each muffin cup. Sprinkle the tops with the remaining 1/4 cup of grated cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the potato cups are set, browned on top, and hot through. Let cool for about 5 minutes in the pan, then use a spoon or knife to gently release them from the pan. Serve immediately with dollops of sour cream, if desired. Make-Ahead Notes: You can bake these and refrigerate for up to 3 days. To reheat and re-crisp: arrange the puffs on a baking sheet and bake at 400°F for about 15 minutes (depending on size). I assume these also freeze well, but I haven't experimented with this yet myself. If I froze them, I would thaw overnight in the refrigerator then follow the reheating instructions above. More Flavoring Ideas for Mashed Potato Puffs: Loaded Baked Potato: Cheddar cheese, cooked bacon, chopped green onions, served with sour cream and chives Curried Potato Puffs: 1 teaspoon curry powder (or to taste), chopped red onion, chopped jalapeño pepper, served with yogurt and cucumber. Goat Cheese & Spinach: Fine chopped spinach, minced garlic, crumbled goat cheese. Italian-Inspired: Finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes, chopped basil, finely chopped shallots, served with a smear of tomato sauce.

Steps:

• Combine the mashed potatoes, cheese, scallions, egg and 3 tablespoons of the flour in a large bowl (see Cook's Note). With your hands, divide the mixture into 12 portions. Roll each portion into a compact ball, and then flatten it into a pancake about 1/2-inch thick.
• Put the remaining 1/2 cup flour in a shallow dish and carefully coat each pancake in the flour.
• Heat 3 to 4 tablespoons of oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. (Add enough oil to thoroughly coat the bottom of the pan.)
• Fry the pancakes, in batches, until they're golden brown and crispy on both sides, 3 to 4 minutes. Add more oil to the pan as needed between batches. (Do not overcrowd the pan and do not flip the pancakes too soon or they won't develop a crisp crust.) Transfer the pancakes to a paper towel-lined plate and immediately sprinkle them with salt.
• Serve the potato pancakes topped with sour cream and garnished with additional chopped scallions.