Crispy Potato Puffs

January in Milwaukee. The cold returns with a vengeance, as if December was just a warning shot. Minus ten on Tuesday morning. The Jeep didn't start. I walked to the brewery in three layers and arrived looking like a yeti. The head brewer handed me a coffee and said, "This is why I moved here from California." He was being sarcastic. Nobody moves to Milwaukee from California for the weather. They move for the beer. Or the cheese. Or because they made a wrong turn on I-94 and just kept going.

New year, new pierogi challenge. January's experimental filling: potato and bacon with chive. Not revolutionary, I know. But I wanted to start with something that felt like a natural extension of the classic potato and cheese. The bacon has to be good — thick-cut, from the butcher on Lincoln Avenue, rendered until it's crispy but not brittle. The chive has to be fresh. The potato has to be Yukon Gold because they're creamier than russets. The result is a pierogi that tastes like a loaded baked potato but better, because it's wrapped in dough and pan-fried in butter and served with sour cream.

Megan went back to school this week. New semester, same kids, new energy. She came home on the first day and told me about a new student — a boy named Omar who transferred in and doesn't speak much English and sat alone at lunch. She's already planning how to help him. She's already thinking about him. This is why she teaches. Not for the lesson plans. For the Omars.

Tom and I watched the Packers playoff game on Saturday. They lost. Tom was quiet for about an hour afterward, processing, the way men process sports losses — silently, intensely, with a beer in hand and no words adequate to the grief. Then he said, "Next year." Next year. The eternal Wisconsin promise. Next year the Packers will win it all, next year the Brewers will make the Series, next year winter will be shorter. None of it is true. All of it is necessary.

All that talk of thick-cut bacon from the butcher on Lincoln Avenue and Yukon Gold potatoes and the whole loaded-baked-potato dream of a pierogi filling — it got me thinking about a version that skips the dough entirely for nights when I’m too cold and too tired to roll anything out. These crispy potato puffs are the honest answer to that impulse: the same bacon-and-chive-laced mash, shaped into little rounds and pan-fried until the outside goes deeply golden and crackly. Tom won’t say a word about the Packers when these are on the table. That’s about the highest praise I know how to give a recipe in January.

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 45 minutes | Servings: 5 (about 15 puffs)

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 strips thick-cut bacon, diced
3 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 large egg, beaten
3 tablespoons sour cream, plus extra for serving
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons neutral oil (canola or vegetable)

Instructions

Cook the potatoes. Place cubed potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold salted water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a steady simmer. Cook until fork-tender, about 14–16 minutes. Drain thoroughly and return to the pot over low heat for 1 minute to steam off excess moisture.
Render the bacon. While the potatoes cook, add the diced bacon to a cold skillet and set over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is crispy but not brittle, about 7–8 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate and reserve.
Mash and mix. Mash the drained potatoes until smooth. Fold in the sour cream, cheddar, beaten egg, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Stir in the cooked bacon and chives. Taste and adjust seasoning. Let the mixture cool for 5 minutes so it’s easier to handle.
Form the puffs. Scoop the potato mixture by heaping tablespoon and roll into balls about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Roll each ball in panko breadcrumbs, pressing gently so the crumbs adhere. Place on a parchment-lined sheet. Refrigerate for 10 minutes to firm up.
Pan-fry until golden. Heat the butter and oil together in a large skillet over medium heat until the butter is foamy. Working in batches so you don’t crowd the pan, add the potato puffs and cook, turning every 2 minutes, until all sides are deep golden brown and crispy, about 8–10 minutes total. Transfer to a wire rack or paper-towel-lined plate.
Serve. Arrange on a platter and serve immediately with cold sour cream and extra chopped chives for garnish.

Nutrition (per serving)

Crispy Potato Puffs — The Loaded Baked Potato Bite That Belongs at Every Wisconsin Winter Table