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Loaded Mashed Potato Balls with Bacon Bits recipe

Appetizers

mashed potato balls with bacon bits

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Loaded Mashed Potato Balls with Bacon Bits

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These delicious and crunchy mashed potato balls can be an appetizer or snack, and they’re easy (and fun!) to make. Two key ingredients make these mashed potato balls truly delightful. They’re made with cheese centers that literally begin to ooze out at the end of their baking time. They’re also made without bread crumbs; each of the mashed potato balls is actually covered in real bacon bits, which give them not just a great crunchiness, but an amazing flavor worth high-fiving!

While you can be a little creative by adding some ingredients, it’s best to use cold mashed potatoes because they’ll form a ball more easily and they’ll keep a firmer texture when they’re baked. Using cold potatoes makes these appetizers the perfect “leftover” treat, so you may want to keep this recipe specially marked for any time that you want to use leftover mashed potatoes — or maybe even make extra mashed potatoes for dinner one night just to have leftovers!

A few words about the other ingredients. Since these mashed potato balls are made with cheese centers, you may want to experiment with the type of cheese you use. I like to use any cheese with a little “bite” because the potatoes are mild. I also prefer the texture of a firm cheese that oozes just enough for me in this recipe. Avoid overcooking the bacon because a portion will be mixed into the mashed potato balls, which will also be dredged with bacon bits on the outside before baking.

You can also experiment with adding some ingredients — just don’t get carried away making the individual mashed potato balls too stuffed! You could add ¼ cup of jalapeños, ¼ cup of olives (green or black) or ⅓ to ½ cup of drained canned corn.

So easy and fun to make, you might want to invite the kids to help! Here are a few additional tips:

  • Read through the entire recipe and have the 5 ingredients ready to assemble
  • Your cheese cubes should be about ½” each so that they’ll fit easily into a 1” potato ball
  • No need to grease your baking sheet!

Enjoy these while hot, and let the “yums!” begin!

 

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Loaded Mashed Potato Balls with Bacon Bits recipe
Ingredients
  • 2 cups cold mashed potatoes
  • 1 egg lightly beaten
  • 4 oz block cheddar cheese cubed
  • 1/4 cup chopped green onions
  • 1/2 lb bacon cooked crumbled, divided
Instructions
  1. Mix mashed potatoes, green onion, and 1/4 cup of the bacon crumbles.
  2. Shape mashed potatoes into 1 in. balls.
  3. Put a cube of cheese into the potato ball and press potatoes around it until cheese is completely covered.
  4. Roll into a ball.
  5. Dip the ball into the eggs, then dredge in the bacon bits.
  6. Place onto cookie sheet or baking dish.
  7. Bake at 375 degrees for 15- 20 mins or until cheese is oozing out.

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These delicious and crunchy mashed potato balls can be an appetizer or snack, and they’re easy (and fun!) to make.
These delicious and crunchy mashed potato balls can be an appetizer or snack, and they’re easy (and fun!) to make.

Holly

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  1. Your ingredients call for the Cheese, but the directions don’t say what you do with it. I’ll assume that you form the ball of mashed potatoes around it?

  2. These look delicious. When the instructions say to shape the mashed potatoes into 1″ balls, does that 1″ supposed to already have the cheese cube in the potatoes; or do you insert the cheese cube into a full 1″ ball of potatoes. It probably won’t make that much difference but I didn’t see instructions for the cheese cubes. Thanks.

  7. Oh, wow! That’s really all I can manage right now 🙂
    Stopping by from Recipe Sharing Monday.

  9. Guys, Look at instruction number 3…. “Put a cube of cheese into the potato ball and mash potatoes around it until cheese is completely covered.”

  10. OMG What a great idea to use leftover mashed potatoes. I always make more than I need and save the rest for another nite. Those balls are a great idea. We love potatoes any way, shape, or form. Thanks for the recipe.

  12. This look really good. I want to make them for a party. But it doesn’t say how many it makes. About how many balls will this recipe make?

  14. A little variation – once the potato balls (with cheese) are formed put them in the freezer to firm them up. Then roll in panko seasoned with garlic powder and parmesan cheese. Then bake as directed above or deep fry until golden brown and top with bacon.

  15. I made these last night and may I just add how freaking amazing these tasted!!! My pickiest daughter asked for thirds! This will be make over and over again in our house. Thank you so much for sharing! 🙂

  16. Plz can u tell me is it packet mashpotatoe ,as from reading ingredients n comments , that’s what I’m assuming, but I preferred homemade normal mash potatoes as I don’t like that packet potatoes stuff ,many thanks ,:)

  18. I just made these and they are great…I didn’t have any issues with directions…kinda common sense…lol thanks for the recipe

  20. Wow…. Some people just don’t know how to read…. These are amazing!!! Made them for lunch with my LEFTOVER potatoes from dinner last night (as the recipe clearly says) and everyone actually ate the potatoes this time! Lol! Great recipe.

  22. These sound awesome,however,my only question would be, for those who made them,what is the texture like? To me it seems that they would be a little loose after adding the egg and sour cream. Kinda just like a blob of a mess and hard to form.

  26. Think before you write people. You can put whatever you what to put in this recipe. Use real or fake Potatoes. The same with the Bacon. Use you head and think before you write something stupid!

  27. I really don’t understand why people have to be so fresh to others, geeez.
    How about this, if you won’t say your post to someones face, then don’t
    post your comments…..be nice….

  29. a great use of leftovers – maybe use pepper jack cheese? I give it 4stars – wouldn’t light up

  31. Can you make these ahead of time and refrigerate? or do they need to be baked immediately?

    If you can make ahead and refrigerate, how much longer would you need to bake them?

  32. I amde the mistake of adding milk to get to the “mashed potatoes” stage. So will have to come up with a rescue plan! They look SOOOOO goood!

  33. I actually laughed reading some of the comments, the post is self explanatory as in the directions are very easy to read!! Someone commented do you have to use sour cream. Ok I read the recipe 3 times. Nowhere is there sour cream in this recipe. But if you want to use sour cream sure you could use it!! Just use common sense and add whatever you want, or go strictly by the recipe 🙂 But for goodness thanks READ!! THEN IF IN DOUBT READ IT AGAIN 🙂

  34. I tried these yesterday. My husband insisted on putting butter and milk to the potatoes while mashing them. They turned out quite sticky .
    Is it necessary to put in milk and butter to the mashed potatoes?

  38. I made these and they were delicious! Had all the ingredients on hand. Preparation time was only 5 minutes. I made them as a side dish but will consider making them for a party as an appetizer!

    ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

  47. I can’t believe how STUPID people are CANT you READ the directions! Nowhere does it say to put sour cream in them, it gives you CLEAR directions on how to make them. They taught reading in FIRST grade!!

  50. I would love a cookbook or some of you older recipes. Please let me know on my web address. Cost etc. thanks!

  51. Tried for Thanksgiving. Wasn’t really our thing. Would be easier to just mash up potatoes and add bacon and cheese to it in one bowl instead of shaping them and doing all that extra work. Just my opinion. I am also confused how it is ok to rate this 5 stars but not even try the recipe? I notice others rated it saying it “looked good” and they want to try it. That doesn’t mean it is good just because it looks good. I dislike when people do that. It gives a false star rating. Would be better if they made it and then decided how it was.

  53. So I looked through the comments and the article and didn’t see any tips for this. I know this uses cold leftover potatoes, but could you use warm potatoes instead? Wanted to make these as a small lunch today and didn’t have any leftovers left 😛

  55. would love to get recipe. a mixture as do not have pork or beef but can change around. would love veggie snacks as well.

    thanks Buggie

  56. Yes, you’ll just want to ensure your potatoes are cool enough to handle.

  59. oh yum a nice mini-“party” – maybe switch out the cheddar for pepper jack or some of each