Recipe: Loaded Potato Bites

This was one of the recipes we were trying out last week as an option for serving at Ri's bridal shower.  I picked up the general idea somewhere, but changed the recipe quite a bit (for one thing, it called for instant potatoes - yuck), both to suit my own tastes, and to make it much smaller; it was originally a dinner recipe, so the portion was much larger.

Loaded Potato Bites
Leftover mashed potatoes - approx. 2c.
4oz softened cream cheese            
1c. shredded cheese - your choice, but I used one of the Mexican blends
1/2 - 1/3c. cooked, chopped bacon
approx. 1Tbls. finely chopped green onion
2 cans refrigerated crescent sheets (or rolls, if you can't find the sheets)

Warm the leftover potatoes and add in the cream cheese, shredded cheese, bacon, and green onions.  Blend well and put back in the fridge for 30 min. to an hour, to allow the potatoes to get firm again.
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and spray a mini muffin pan with cooking spray.
Unroll the crescent roll dough, pinching the seams if you were unable to find the sheets.  Cut into approx. 3" squares.  Your potatoes should be firm enough to roll into balls that are about the size of a small bouncy ball.  Place a ball of mashed potatoes on each square, pull the dough up around the potato, pinch the seams closed, and place in the muffin tin.  Bake 'til golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.

This recipe filled my 24 count mini muffin pan, with a bit leftover that we baked on a small cookie sheet.

I've got to admit that I liked them best while they were warm, but they were still pretty good when they had cooled to room temperature.