Mashed Potato Poppers

Mashed Potato Poppers

Ingredients:

4 cups mashed potatoes

2 tablespoons sour cream

2 tablespoons butter

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

Pepper to taste

3 eggs + 2 yolks

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 ½ cups seasoned breadcrumbs

5oz sharp aged cheddar or gruyere cut into 12 pieces

3-4 cups vegetable oil

1 cup marinara sauce


Directions:

Mix potatoes with sour cream, butter, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, 2 egg yolks and flour. At this point refrigerate for 1 hour to harden the mixture.

Roll potato mixture into round 12 oblong cylinders and place a ½oz piece of cheese in the center by molding the potato around it. Refrigerate again for 15 min.

Lightly beat remaining eggs in a bowl and place breadcrumbs in a second bowl. Dip each cylinder in eggs and then breadcrumbs.

Pour oil into a deep heavy pot. Heat to 365 degrees; monitor with a thermometer or check by using the handle end of a wooden spoon. It will bubble around the handle when it hits about 350 degrees.

Carefully place 2 potato croquettes at a time into oil and fry until deeply golden. Be careful not to crowd foods when frying.

Immediately remove drain on a paper towel and season with salt. Can be kept warm in a 325 degree oven until all croquettes are ready. Serve hot with marinara sauce.

French Onion Soup Sticks

French Onion Soup Sticks

Ingredients:

6 slices sandwich bread

6 slices swiss cheese, cut in half diagonally

6 slices provolone cheese, cut in half

½ stick unsalted butter, divided

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 large onions, sliced

1 can beef broth

2 tablespoons white wine

¼ teaspoon dried thyme

salt and pepper, to taste


Directions:

Melt 2 tablespoons butter with the olive oil in a medium-sized pot over medium heat. Add the onions and stir regularly until they are caramel in color and sweet.

Add the beef broth, white wine and thyme. Season with salt and pepper, and simmer for 30 minutes.

Remove the onion soup from the heat. Strain out the caramelized onions and reserve the liquid to use for dipping.
Cut the crusts off of each slice of bread and discard the crusts. Flatten each piece of bread with a rolling pin.

Layer 1 slice of the provolone cheese on top of the bread. Line up the straight edge of each half-circle piece with the edge of the bread to cover the most area. Then, layer the swiss cheese on top.

Scoop anywhere from a half to full tablespoon of the caramelized onions on top of the cheese.

Tightly roll up the bread and fillings. Use a knife to cut any cheese that is pushed out at the seam. Rest the rolled sticks seam-side down.

Refrigerate the leftover onions in a tupperware container. You can use them on sandwiches, in more soup sticks, or in french onion dip.

Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a medium sized pan over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the sticks, seam-side down. Let the bottoms become golden brown and turn every few minutes until the entire sticks are browned and the cheese is melted.