Cheesy Mashed Potato Scotch Eggs

Hello my darlings. I love you more than words can say. You to me are everything.

Oh! Hi, didn’t see ya there. Thought it was just me and these lil guys.

Look, I’m just gonna cut right to the chase here, because these don’t need much of a formal recipe and every second you spend reading this, you aren’t eating. So: these are delicious, require very little in the way of effort (though a little more in the way of mess), and you should make them even if you don’t have any leftover potatoes anymore. As my boyfriend said, these are worth making more mashed potatoes for! (Okay I said it, but he vociferously and voluntarily agreed.)

Cheesy Mashed Potato Scotch Eggs (makes 6)

• ~ 3 c. leftover Mashed Potatoes (mine had roasted garlic, goat cheese, and sour cream in ’em– none of which are necessary for this recipe, all of which would be a first-rate addition. Not that I’m biased or anything)
• ~1 c. Cheddar Cheese, shredded
• 6 soft-boiled Eggs (I cook mine for 6.5 minutes to help them hold up to being molded in mashed potato)
• 1 c. Flour
• 2 Eggs, whisked
• 2 c. Panko (or other breadcrumbs)
• Salt
• Pepper
• Vegetable Oil (or other frying oil of your choice)

Line a wire rack with paper towels and set aside. Mix potatoes and cheese together. Press approx. 1/2 c. into your palm, then wrap it around an egg. Repeat with remaining eggs, then set in fridge to chill. In the meantime, set out flour, eggs, and panko in three separate bowls to create your breading station. Stir a pinch of salt and pepper to taste into panko. Heat a few inches of oil to 350 degrees in a high-sided pot. Roll eggs in flour, then in egg, then in panko. Fry eggs (don’t crowd the pot– do them in stages as space requires) until deep golden on all sides (about 2 minutes). Remove to paper towels to drain. Serve promptly, topped with leftover gravy if you’re ~extra~ like the members of my household, or just plain because they’re totally delicious all on their own.

This recipe was great for using up some of our Thanksgiving leftovers– in addition to the mashed potatoes and some gravy, it also helped get rid of some hunks of cheese from our charcuterie board, and half the carton of eggs we didn’t wind up needing. Really, we were sacrificing a lot here, all in the name of getting rid of leftovers. It’s a tough job, but somebody’s gotta do it!