Loaded Baked Potato Puffs With Smokey Marinara

Ready, Set, Cook! Special Edition Contest Entry: This recipe is a whimsical combination of hand-held appetizer meets loaded baked potato. It's kid-friendly, too! Please note that hands-on prep time is only 15 minutes; the remaining 30 minutes of prep time is for puffs to chill in the refrigerator before frying. Also, computer-generated nutritional data includes all of the oil used for frying. Actual fat and calories consumed will be much lower than these counts, as all but about 3 TBSP of oil is left in the pan and not served.

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 4
• Yields: 24 appetizer puffs

Ingredients

• 2  cups  Simply Potatoes Traditional Mashed Potatoes
• 1  cup smoked gouda cheese, shredded
• 1⁄4 cup  fully cooked and crumbled bacon (about 3 strips)
• 1  tablespoon green onion, plus 1/2 tsp green onion (for garnish)
• 1  teaspoon ground cumin
• 1  large egg
• 1  cup  dried and pre-seasoned  breadcrumbs
• 3  cups canola oil
• 1  cup  marinara sauce
• 3  tablespoons barbecue sauce

Directions

1. Stir together first 6 ingredients (through egg, reserving ½ tsp of green onion for garnish), just until well blended.
2. Form mixture in to 1 TBSP spheres.
3. Roll in bread crumbs, coating completely. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
4. Line large plate with napkins.
5. In medium-sized, tall-walled pot, heat oil at medium high heat for 5 minutes.
6. Gently lower puffs, one at a time, in to hot oil. Fry about 2-3 minutes, turning once after the first minute, until golden brown on all sides. Several puffs can share the pot at the same time; just take care that they aren't touching each other or the wall of the pot.
7. Remove puffs from hot oil with a slotted spoon and place on lined plate to remove any excess oil.
8. In a small bowl, heat marinara and BBQ sauce in microwave for 2 minutes. Stir. Garnish with remaining green onion.
9. Serve warm puffs on a platter with smokey marinara for dipping.