¾ cup | sour cream, divided |
1 tsp. | finely chopped chives or green onions, plus more for garnish |
8 oz. | Borden® Cheese Medium Cheddar Chunk, divided |
2 | medium russet potatoes, peeled and chopped, about 1 lb. |
2 tbsp. | Borden® Butter |
⅛ tsp. | garlic powder |
⅛ tsp. | seasoned salt |
⅛ tsp. | dry mustard |
¼ tsp. | salt |
15 | bacon strips, cooked crisp and crumbled |
1 cup | beer batter dry mix |
Oil, as needed for frying |
1 |
MIX
½ cup sour cream and chopped chives or onions together in a small bowl. Refrigerate.
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2 |
PREHEAT
oven to 400°F. Shred ½ of cheese to make about 1 cup of shreds. Divide shreds into 8 piles, about 2 inches apart, on a silicone baking mat or parchment paper-lined cookie sheet and bake about 5 minutes or until cheese melts and becomes crisp. Let cool 5 minutes and remove from baking sheet.
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3 |
REDUCE
oven temperature to 180°F.
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4 |
PLACE
potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Heat over medium-high heat and boil potatoes until they are tender; drain. Beat the potatoes with the butter in an electric mixer bowl fitted with a paddle on medium-low speed until smooth, then add ¼ cup sour cream and all seasonings. Stir in the crumbled bacon.
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5 |
CUT
the remaining 4 oz. cheese into 8 ½-inch cubes. Form balls of mashed potato mixture using an ice cream scoop. Make a small hole in center of each potato ball and fill with one cube cheese. Cover with additional mashed potato so cheese is hidden inside. Refrigerate until ready to fry.
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6 |
HEAT
oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat to 375°F. Prepare beer batter according to package directions; dip each mashed potato ball into batter and deep-fry for about 5 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oil and drain on paper towel. Reheat oil to 375°F between batches. Keep potato puffs warm in the holding oven.
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7 |
PLACE
potato puff on a plate; top with dollop of chive cream, a few chives and the cheddar crisp. Serve immediately.
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