Make Entertaining Easy with Mashed Potato Tini’s!

Easter is right around the corner, and if you’re like me, you need great recipe ideas that will save time and still taste delicious. These Mashed Potato Tini’s are easy, elegant and will surely impress your friends and family.  I really enjoy cooking and entertaining, but sometimes I wish I had more time to spend with my guests.  Not only will you have more time with your loved ones, they won’t believe that this appetizer took you under ten minutes to prepare. Another great way to cut down your time in the kitchen is to prep all of the toppings prior to the arrival of your guests. That way, you can simply heat up the potatoes, spoon them into the glasses, and set out all of your toppings.

These are sure to make your Easter Brunch stand out, and they also make a great first course at your next dinner party or cocktail event. For larger groups, consider setting up a Potato Tini Bar and let your guests make their own! It’s a great way to get your guests to “play” with their food! This recipe is also great because it leaves room for creativity; feel free to add additional topping choices to your Potato Tini Bar, the more the merrier.

Ingredients:

• 2-24oz packages of Reser’s Sensational Sides Creamy Mashed Potatoes (feel free to substitute 3lbs. homemade mashed potatoes)
• 6 slices thick cut bacon (cooked crisp and roughly chopped)
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh chives
• 6 martini glasses

Method:

1. Heat potatoes in microwave, per package instructions
2. Spoon mashed potatoes into martini glasses until the glasses are 3/4 of the way full
3. Top with desired amount of bacon, cheese, sour cream, and chives
4. Serve with small spoon and enjoy!

Serves 6

Prep Time: 10-15 minutes

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Here are some delicious ideas for additional toppings:

• Cooked ground beef
• Carmelized onions
• Chopped fresh tomatoes
• Crumbled Bleu Cheese
• Chopped bell peppers
• Sautéed mushrooms
• Steamed broccoli florets

Recipe provided by Bronwen Jones-Broderick, Product Development Chef at Reser’s Fine Foods

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Posted by Lacey

Easy Christmas Cookie Recipe: Cranberry Orange Thumbprint Cookies

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Looking for a Christmas cookie that’s extra-special but still easy to make? Try these delicious Cranberry Orange Thumbprint Cookies!

A rich, buttery shortbread, these holiday cookies have a delicate and almost crispy texture. Their sweetness is balanced perfectly by a mildly tart cranberry topping.

This recipe makes about two dozen—plenty to share. (Though you probably won’t want to!)

Here’s how to make them:

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Posted by Lacey

Holiday Meals Made Easy: Quick Knish Recipe (Seasoned Potato Dumplings)

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I was browsing holiday recipes the other day when I came across this one for Potato Knish, which are pastry buns filled with seasoned mashed potatoes and fried onions. They’re traditionally served at Hanukkah but also enjoyed year-round.

To make this recipe easier I went ahead and substituted store bought mashed potatoes in place of homemade ones and used frozen puff pastry sheets in place of made-from-scratch dough.

I knew these would be fairly simple, but they ended up being even easier than I had guessed. It took me less than ten minutes to get the onions cooked and the mashed potatoes ready, and then I only spent about ten or fifteen minutes filling the buns.

The results were incredibly delicious and well worth making—savory, buttery, seasoned, creamy, and flakey, all at the same time.

Here’s my adapted version of this recipe:

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Posted by Lacey

Holiday Meals Made Easy: Simple, No-Fail Latkes Recipe

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I’ve always loved latkes (fried potato pancakes) but my previous attempts at making them myself ended in disappointment—mine always seemed to fall apart.

Then, earlier this week, I read this post about how to make latkes over at Cooking with my Kid. She made the recipe seem so easy that I knew I had to try making them again—and wow, I’m so glad I did! 

Her latkes recipe is pretty straightforward to start with, but I decided to make it even easier by using Reser’s shredded hash brown potatoes rather than having to peel and shred the potatoes myself. I also went ahead and scaled her recipe smaller, as I didn’t need to feed so many people.

Let me just warn you right now: this easy latkes recipe may be simple, but they turn out addictively delicious. (I’m not kidding—I ate two before the rest of them even made it to the table!) They’re crispy, perfectly seasoned, and they hold up well the pan.

Here’s my adapted version of the original:

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Posted by Lacey