Potato Balls
Sometime the week before the Super Bowl, I made Bobby Deen's Simply Smashed Potato Cakes. They were really good, but needed a few tweeks. I began to think about what to bring to the Super Bowl party I would be attending that Sunday and my mind went back to these cakes, but turning them into more of an appetizer by rolling little balls and adding a ranch dip. The result was a success! I'm pretty sure that I will now make mashed potatoes this way, with the exception of the breadcrumbs.
Potato Balls Ingredients:
Nonstick cooking spray
4-5 red potatoes
4 cloves garlic, peeled and cut lengthwise in half
3 slices of thick cut bacon
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup plain Greek-style yogurt
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups plain breadcrumbs (preferably panko)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 finely chopped scallion
Ranch Dip Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup plain Greek-style yogurt
1/2 cup skim milk
1 packet Ranch dressing mix
Directions:
Put the potatoes and garlic in a pot and cover with enough water to go 2 inches past the potatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain then return to pot.
While the potatoes are cooking, spray a large non stick skillet with nonstick cooking spray, add bacon and fry at medium heat until crispy. Remove bacon and chop into small bits. Reserve bacon fat in
the skillet.
While potatoes and bacon are cooking, mix the ingredients for the Ranch Dip and refrigerate until balls are ready.
Once the potatoes and garlic are returned to the pot, season with salt and pepper, then mash with yogurt and broth, once incorporated, add 1/2 cup of the breadcrumbs, cheese, scallions and bacon bits, then continue to mash until fully incorporated.
Put the remaining cup of breadcrumbs in a shallow dish. With a melon baller, scoop about a walnut sized amount of the potatoes and put in the breadcrumbs. Roll around until fully coated with breadcrumbs then set aside while you make the rest.
Reheat the bacon fat, if cooled, to medium-high heat. Drop the balls into the skillet, placing them about an inch apart. Rotate every couple of minutes to fry evenly.
Serve hot with Ranch Dip.
Nonstick cooking spray
4-5 red potatoes
4 cloves garlic, peeled and cut lengthwise in half
3 slices of thick cut bacon
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup plain Greek-style yogurt
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups plain breadcrumbs (preferably panko)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 finely chopped scallion
Ranch Dip Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup plain Greek-style yogurt
1/2 cup skim milk
1 packet Ranch dressing mix
Directions:
Put the potatoes and garlic in a pot and cover with enough water to go 2 inches past the potatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain then return to pot.
While the potatoes are cooking, spray a large non stick skillet with nonstick cooking spray, add bacon and fry at medium heat until crispy. Remove bacon and chop into small bits. Reserve bacon fat in
the skillet.
While potatoes and bacon are cooking, mix the ingredients for the Ranch Dip and refrigerate until balls are ready.
Once the potatoes and garlic are returned to the pot, season with salt and pepper, then mash with yogurt and broth, once incorporated, add 1/2 cup of the breadcrumbs, cheese, scallions and bacon bits, then continue to mash until fully incorporated.
Put the remaining cup of breadcrumbs in a shallow dish. With a melon baller, scoop about a walnut sized amount of the potatoes and put in the breadcrumbs. Roll around until fully coated with breadcrumbs then set aside while you make the rest.
Reheat the bacon fat, if cooled, to medium-high heat. Drop the balls into the skillet, placing them about an inch apart. Rotate every couple of minutes to fry evenly.
Serve hot with Ranch Dip.
