Waffled Twice Baked Potato Pancake Bites
Waffled Twice Baked Potato Pancake Bites sound confusing but taste amazing. Deliciously creamy Idaho potatoes are whipped and combined with twice baked filling before turning them into pancake batter that is cooked in a waffle iron.
As far as appetizers go, potatoes don’t have a lot of variety. There’s skins, fries, puffs or croquettes, chips, and hash browns. That’s pretty much it; or some variation thereof for an appetizer. Just not a lot of wow factor there. Potatoes are under-rated in the appetizer category, to say the least.
I’ve made skins with sweet potatoes. There’s been rounds (aka thick cut potato chips) with delicious cheese on top. Of course, I’ve baked fries and chips. However, I’ve never made puffs/croquettes nor have I made hash brown anything. So, I thought I’d push my boundaries – and those of the potato based appetizer world – and make some deliciously unique potato appetizers.
I, along with 20 other bloggers, are creating some unique and tasty tater appetizers. You see, the Idaho Potato Commission contacted #SundaySupper to promote potatoes as a tasty and different appetizer. Because, as I’ve said, potatoes are under-rated as an appetizer and the Idaho Potato Commission want to make sure that potatoes are NEVER under-rated in ANY food category.
And, I’m totally with them on that quest. I could eat my weight in potatoes every day and be happy. I’m not sure if it’s my Irish roots, or just the fact that potatoes are delicious, full of fabulous nutrition, and came in so many sizes, shapes, colors, flavors, and textures, but I can honestly say I could eat potatoes at least once for every meal and never get tired of them.
So, of course, I was dying to work with #SundaySupper and the Idaho Potato Commission potatoes any chance I could. I want to show the world that potatoes are not just that vegetable sitting in the dark in the bottom of their pantry. They’re more than just mashed, baked, fried, or chipped. They are amazing and can hold up to the most elegant and delicious appetizers on the planet! Who’s with me??
Okay. Soap box put away.
The Idaho Potato Commission sent us more potatoes than the two of us could possibly eat; 20 pounds! They were the best bakers (Russets) I’ve ever tasted. Then there were the fingerlings in pink, white, and blue. BLUE of all colors! Can you imagine? TOO COOL! We’ve mashed the russets, roasted the fingerlings, and fried up some home fries with those darn good taters. The “red” in the Red White and Blue Cheese Potato Salad were from the box of fingerlings they sent us. I have just have to say that those potatoes, fresh from the farm, were the creamiest, tastiest, most delicious potatoes I have ever eaten. I love par-boiling the fingerlings, mashing them flat, then roasting them to crisp them up. OH SO GOOD!
For me, potatoes always drum up family memories. One memory in particular is the smell and taste of my nana’s potato pancakes. That’s one recipe that we will never get exactly right, but I keep trying. Every time we make mashed potatoes, I make a little extra so I can try my hand at her delicious recipe. They were tender, crisp, and delicious with the onions and cheese that she put in them. They were perfect the next morning with some scrambled eggs, scrapple, and toast. All those mornings siting around that small dining room chomping away on her pancakes, talking about the day, and just being together. I miss my nana.
So, I wanted to honor that memory, but turn those pancakes into something new and interesting. Since everything is being waffled lately, I took the batter I would have made into pancakes and turned them into these #SundaySupper Waffled Twice Baked Potato Pancake Bites. They’re the perfect bite sized nibble of potato, onion, cheese-y goodness that’s topped with a delicious horseradish and bacon cream, some chives, and more bacon crumbles. Because you can’t have too much bacon, can you?
These Waffled Twice Baked Potato Pancake Bites are simple and easy to whip up. They have a nice crispy outside with a tender and tasty inside. They’re topped with a creamy kick and delicious salty bacon. I can’t imagine a party without these delicious appetizers being served. They’re simple yet elegant and belong at any and every party.
Just look at that delicious goodness!! You can see the flecks of onion and bacon and the browned bits of cheddar in the potatoes. Then there’s the bacon flecks in the cream and the chive and bacon topping. You can just imagine the flavor explosion that will hit your mouth once you bite into one of these delicious Waffled Twice Baked Potato Pancake Bites. They’re like those potato chips; you can’t eat just one. Heck, I ate 3 or 4 to make sure they tasted perfect. Yeah, that’s exactly the reason I needed to eat so many.
See? Potatoes can be a delicious appetizer for any party. And the Idaho Potato Commission knows this and wants to make sure you know it!! So, in order to spread the word, please follow the delicious, #SundaySupper Pinterest board featuring the recipes from today’s event. And since the Idaho Potato Commission knows about all things potato related, please follow them on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram and see all the potato goodness that you can cook up with the staple of every household; potatoes!
As if that wasn’t enough, make sure to scroll down and check out all the delicious recipes the other bloggers have cooked up for this event. Trust me when I say, you won’t want to miss a bite of these appetizers.
Waffled Twice Baked Potato Pancake Bites
Deliciously creamy potatoes are whipped and combined with twice baked filling before turning them into pancake batter that is cooked in a waffle iron. Waffled Twice Baked Potato Pancake Bites are a take on a family favorite potato pancake recipe.
Ingredients
For the mashed potatoes:
- 4 – 5 large Idaho potatoes
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 to 1/3 cup milk
For waffle batter:
- 3/4 cup fat free half and half (or regular cream)
- 1/2 cup egg substitute (or two large eggs)
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup crumbled bacon
- 1/3 cup thinly sliced chives
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
For Sauce:
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons crumbled bacon
- 1 tablespoon thinly sliced green onions
- 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
Instructions
For the potatoes:
- Preheat oven to 400.
- Place the Idaho potatoes on the rack of the oven and bake until tender, about 40 to 60 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to the touch.
- Carefully remove the skin from each potato and roughly chop before placing them in a large mixing bowl.
- Using a hand mixer, coarsely mash the potatoes and then beat until most of the lumps are gone and the butter is melted. Add the milk a little at a time until the potatoes a creamy, but not whipped. Allow to cool to room temperature, or overnight.
For the waffles:
- Preheat your waffle maker.
- Once the potatoes are cooled (if refrigerated please remove 30 minutes before making the batter), add the next 11 ingredients (half and half through pepper) and stir with a wooden spoon. The batter should be between a pancake batter and a waffle batter with lumps. Spray the waffle iron with cooking spray (or brush with butter) before spooning 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons of batter into the maker. Close the top and cook 5 to 6 minutes or until golden brown and does not pull apart when opened. (This part took me about 3 batches of 2 before I figured out the perfect time. I have a small, 2 square, waffle iron and mine took 5 minutes.) Once cooked, remove to a wire rack to cool for crispier waffles or stack on a plate for more tender waffles. (We preferred the crispier versions.)
- Continue cooking the rest of the waffles; spraying with cooking spray before each batch. While the waffles are cooking, prepare the sauce.
For the sauce:
- Combine the remaining ingredients in a small bowl reserving a small amount of bacon and chives for garnish. Refrigerate until serving.
- Serve the waffles topped with the horseradish sauce and serve garnished with bacon and chives.
This post is sponsored by the Idaho Potato Commission in conjunction with a social media campaign through Sunday Supper LLC. All opinions are my own.
Thanks for joining us on #SaucySaturdays! I love all your recipes and have been reading for a while. This is definitely a recipe that will make me go out and buy a new waffle maker! What a great way to use potatoes!
Thank you, Denise! We usually have left over mashed potatoes. Not alot, but enough for a small batch of these to snack on for the two of us. You can never have too many mashed potatoes!
So delicious! I can’t wait to try these!
Thank you, Serena! I hope you do. They are delicious.
What a great idea! And you can really play with this once you get the basics down. Love it. Thanks for sharing with #SaucySaturdays!
You’re welcome, Christine! Thank you for hosting the party. I can’t wait to see how it grows.
Love that you re-created your Nana’s recipe. I have been drooling over these for a week now. I absolutely cannot wait to make them.
I have fond memories of those pancakes. They were delicious and I can never recreate them. Close, but not quite. This is my spin on them. I hope you enjoy them!
Waffled ANYTHING for me, but especially these!
Thank you, Dorothy! I was dying to get the waffle maker out and this sounded perfect for the occassion.
Oh my goodness … I want a big ‘ole plate of these right now! Such a creative appetizer … I love it!
Thank you, Kimberly. They are delicious. And the sauce can easily be a simply chip dip, too.
Such a creative recipe, made of all things tasty!
Thank you, Alida!
Delicious!Love the idea of turning these into waffles!So so good!
Thank you! They were rather tasty.
this looks so darn good, may have to try making it. THanks for sharing. Stopping by from #TuesdaysTable
Thanks for stopping by! I hope you do try them. They’re delicious. The hubs says so!
This looks like it could be a special weekend treat for Grumpy and me. Love everything in these!
Thank you! I hope you enjoy them.
These waffles just look and sound so delicious. For me, nothing beats the combination of potatoes, chives and sour cream – so I bet these tasted as good as their appearance!
Thank you. They did! Even the hubs liked them and snuck bites between shoots.
What a great way to use up leftover mashed too!
That’s what I thought, Cindy! LO mashed potatoes became pancakes in our house. What do you do with them?
What a creative recipe! I need to try these.
Thank you, Michele! I hope you like them.
I am completely in love with these little guys!
Thank you, Bobbi! I love yours, too! Those purple puffs look awesome.
What fabulous waffle bites! Between the potato batter and the toppings, this is one irresistible appetizer!
Thank you, Liz! Your bites look awesome, too!
Yum! I would totally eat these for breakfast!
We did, too, when Nana made them. I couldn’t wait for breakfast because I knew she’s make a batch.
This potato appetizer definitely won’t be underrated!! So creative and loaded with all my favorite potato-y flavors!!
Thank you, Marion. I loved the flavors, too. Perfect loaded taste.
This is what all savory waffles wish they could be. Yum!
Heh. Thank you, Renee!