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Saturday, January 26, 2013

Party Potato Puffs

Well Super Bowl is coming up and I am trying recipes for the Party. I don't watch the game, just the halftime show. Us non sportsy people just play cards or board games while the Fans are in the living room yelling at the TV...But that's fine, a Party is all about having fun. I saw this recipe on Pinterest.com and thought,
"I could do that with fresh instant potatoes for the game day."  I played with the recipe until it tasted good to me. You can add seasoning (garlic, horseradish, Italian herbs, etc.) to make it a little different from the leftovers you had sitting in the fridge.  I make my potatoes with cream cheese and throw in everything but the kitchen sink for Loaded potatoes!

I tried some of them in cupcake liners to see if it would be cleaner coming out of the pans....don't... it just sticks to the liners...Bleh.  These taste really good hot or cold but you HAVE to take them out of the muffin tins RIGHT AWAY or they stick even with the food release. Use your favorite recipe for mashed potatoes or get the flavored instant ones (four cheese or Roasted Garlic would be Ahhhhsome!) Play with the recipe, try different cheeses and see what becomes your family's favorite.

2 cups leftover mashed potatoes
1 cup Parmesan cheese
3 eggs
2 chopped green onions
non stick food spray
bowl
2-  12 hole Mini-Muffin tins
a spoon and a fork


I found it was easier to microwave the potatoes so they were warm but not hot (so they do not cook the raw eggs). Otherwise it is difficult to stir them. Take a large bowl, crack 3 eggs in it and whisk it with the fork. Add the Parmesan Cheese to the mix and stir.  Chop your green onions (I used just the greens but you can use both the green and the white parts) and add them to the eggs. Add the mashed potatoes TO the egg mixture a bit at a time and stir (this way if you have too much of the mashed potatoes you can stop) . The mixture should be thick but not stiff.(If it is too runny add more potatoes) Take your food release and spray both Muffin Tins liberally. Spoon the mixture into the tin filling them to the top. (I use the fork to scrape the mix from the spoon into the tins.) Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until golden brown.Be sure to flip them out right away and set them on a plate or they will stick to the pan.  Serve with Sour cream, ranch dip, fiesta dip or just the way they are. These can be done ahead and put in the fridge until you are ready to bake them or cook them first then refrigerate, zap em in the microwave to reheat them.


Step By Step





I used Leftover loaded mash potatoes but you can use fresh instant if you want.

I found it was easier to microwave the potatoes so they were warm but not hot. Otherwise it is difficult to stir them.  If they are to hot, let them cool down a bit (so they do not cook the raw eggs).  


Take a large bowl, crack 3 eggs in it and whisk it with the fork. 




Add the Parmesan Cheese to the mix and stir.




Chop your green onions (I used just the greens but you can use both the green and the white parts) and add them to the eggs. 





Add the mashed potatoes TO the egg mixture a bit at a time and stir
(this way if you have too much of the mashed potatoes you can stop) . 
The mixture should be thick but not stiff. (If it is too runny add more potatoes) 




Take your food release and spray both Muffin Tins liberally. Spoon the mixture into the tin filling them to the top. (I use the fork to scrape the mix from the spoon into the tins.) Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until golden brown.




Be sure to flip them out right away and set them on a plate or they will stick to the pan.  

Serve with Sour cream, ranch dip, fiesta dip or just the way they are. 

These can be done ahead and put in the fridge until you are ready to bake them or cook them first then refrigerate, zap em in the microwave to reheat them.

Have fun!






Friday, January 18, 2013

Scottish Armored eggs

Well I am attending The Maiden's Ball (an SCA.org) event this weekend and we were wondering what to take with us for lunch. My friends were wanting me to make these...Though I don't know what we will be taking yet, It did make me think I should put these up on the Blog though!

These are awesome for any party and with the Superbowl and Mardi Gras coming up these are perfect!

You will need: 
1 dozen eggs, (hard boiled and peeled)
24 slices of bacon, 
water, 
2 pots, 
oil, 
toothpicks, 
Paper towels,
a couple of plates 
metal slotted spoon or tongs
(I usually make a double batch because of all the people who show up.)

For the Sausage  variation: You will need 3 lbs of sausage and some bread crumbs instead of the bacon. For the deviled egg variation: you will also need a fork, a bowl, Mayonnaise/Mustard, and your favorite spices for your own deviled egg recipe.

You can make these ahead of time and cook them when everyone arrives or just cook them and put them in the fridge then serve them cold...
First take a pot and hard boil the eggs. After they are cooked take them off the heat and pour off the hot water and let them sit in cold water for a while. Now that they are cooled off enough to handle them, peel them and put them on a paper towel. Pat them dry. (any water on them will make the oil bubble over) Take a slice of bacon and wrap it around the egg from top to bottom and back again, and pin it in place with a tooth pick. Hmmmm...that's not enough bacon...lets take a slice of bacon and wrap it around the middle and back again (so the egg is completely covered).  Now, pin it in place with a second toothpick. Once all the eggs are done you can place the plate in the fridge until you are ready to cook the eggs. Take a pot (or a Fry baby if you have one) and heat the oil...once the oil is hot - put two eggs in the hot oil, making sure they are completely covered by the oil...Keep adding ONE egg at a time so the oil does not bubble over..when the bacon is crispy it is time to pull them out of the oil and put them on a plate with a paper towel on it to absorb the excess oil. Continue until all the eggs are finished. They are ready to serve. Like I said hot or cold these are great! One of my friends saw this on my Facebook page and told me I needed to start a blog but I had no idea what a blog was...it wasn't until my friend Harmony showed me Pinterest.com and said please make these and...YOU...NEED...TO...START...A...BLOG!.... Thank you to her, her sister Paige, and her mom Melody for getting me to start this.   Anyway, this is why the pictures here are older, and NOT professional at all but still the recipe is AAAAaaaawsome! 

A couple of variations on this is to use your favorite Deviled egg recipe, Devil the eggs, then put the 2 halves of the egg back together and continuing with the recipe...Or wrap the egg in sausage, then roll it in breadcrumbs, now deep fry that baby!

Health safety note:Remember not to put the cooked eggs back on the plate the raw ones were on...You do not want to contaminate the cooked food with raw pork.  


Step by step.....


First take a pot and hard boil the eggs. when they are cooked take them off the heat and pour off the hot water and let them sit in cold water for a while. When they are cooled off enough to handle them, peel them and put them on a paper towel. 
Pat them dry. (any water on them will make the oil bubble over and it will burn you)



 Take a slice of bacon and wrap it around the egg from top to bottom and back again, and pin it in place with a tooth pick. Take a second slice of bacon and wrap it around the middle and back again 
(so the egg is completely covered).  Pin it in place with a second toothpick. 
Set it aside and repeat this step till all the eggs are covered.



Once all the eggs are done you can place the plate in the fridge until you are ready to cook the eggs. Take a pot (or a Fry baby if you have one) and heat the oil...once the oil is hot - put two eggs in the hot oil, making sure they are completely covered by the oil...Keep adding one egg at a time - Wait for the bubbles to die down and make sure the oil is not near the top of the fryer/pot before adding another egg...
this is so the oil does not bubble over and burn you.


Health safety note:Remember not to put the cooked eggs back on the plate the raw ones were on...You do not want to contaminate the cooked food with raw pork. 

When the bacon is crispy (about 2 to 3 minutes) it is time to pull them out of the oil using a slotted spoon or a pair of tongs and put them on a plate with a paper towel on it to absorb the excess oil. Continue until all the eggs are finished. Wait a minute before removing the tooth picks so you do not burn yourself....

If your party has alcohol...remove the toothpick so no one pokes the inside of their mouth!


These are hot all the way through even though they have been in the fridge.
They are ready to serve. (but you have to try one to be sure...right?...)



Variations on this:
You can wrap the boiled eggs in sausage, then roll them in bread crumbs and deep fry them if you want something slightly different. Fry one first then cut it open to be sure the sausage is cooked all the way through...the thicker the sausage layer the longer you have to cook it...time it... but start at 21/2 minutes.

                                                                                        


or use your favorite Deviled egg recipe, Devil the eggs, then put the 2 halves of the egg back together and continuing with the recipe...