Mashed Potatoes Twice Baked

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Last weekend I decided I needed to cook the turkey breast in our freezer.  I know it was only 2 weeks before Thanksgiving but I thought it would be fun to have a few friends over and have a Thanksgiving dinner with them.  For the meal I made a turkey breast, rosemary mashed potatoes, stuffing, and peach pie for dessert.  Since there were only 4 of us we had plenty of leftovers for the next day.

This was the perfect opportunity to come up with a way to re-purpose the leftovers.  I looked at the stuffing but couldn’t think of anything to make with it.  I started thinking of things to do with mashed potatoes and realized they would be great twice baked.

Enter twice baked mashed potatoes.  The mashed potatoes are mixed with cheese, bacon, chives, and vegetables then baked in muffin cups to make individual portions.  My husband loved that I re-purposed our leftovers into a delicious new side dish.  The potatoes were cheesy and slightly smokey from the bacon.  They had a whole new dimension to them and we both really enjoyed them.

Mashed Potatoes Twice Baked (adapted from Food.com)
4 c. mashed potatoes
4 slices bacon
1/2 c. onion, chopped
1/2 c. red pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 c. cheddar cheese
1/2 t. salt
1 t. black pepper
1 t. paprika
4 chives, sliced on a diagonal

1.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray.

2.  Cook the bacon in a medium skillet until it is browned on both sides.  Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels.  Once drained crumble the bacon.

3.  Remove all but 1 tablespoon of bacon grease from the skillet.  Add the onion and red pepper and saute for 3-4 minutes over medium heat.  Add in the garlic and saute for an additional minute.

4.  In a large bowl combine the mashed potatoes, red pepper mixture, the crumbled bacon,  and half of the cheese.  Mix well.  Stir in the salt, pepper, and paprika.

5.  Spoon the mashed potatoes into the muffins cups so that they are full.  Top off with remaining cheese.

6.  Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the edges are browned.  Remove from oven and top with sliced chives.

More Thanksgiving Leftovers Recipes:

• Turkey Tamale Pie by Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts
• Thanksgiving Leftovers Pot Pie by I Run For Wine
• The Ultimate Thanksgiving Leftovers Sandwich by Daily Dish Recipes
• Red Potato Turkey Cutlets with Ginger & Fresh Herbs by Sue’s Nutrition Buzz
• Turkey Mornay Open-Face Sandwiches by The Weekend Gourmet
• Skillet Turkey Reuben by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings

• Pumpkin Gingersnap Truffles by Chocolate Moosey
• Sweet Potato Spice Cake with Pecan Streusel Topping by Shockingly Delicious