Bird Nests
"Ready, Set, Cook! Special Edition Contest Entry. Create a bird nest of mashed potatoes filled with a tasty meat mixture then sit back and listen to the sounds of delight!...and here's the secret used for this recipe: Simply fill a gallon-sized ZipLoc bag with Simply Pototoes Traditional Mashed Potatoes and cut off a corner of the bag to leave an approximate 1/2" opening! It's my own original one-of-a-kind recipe that's been taste-tested and approved by even the pickiest of eaters in our family!"
- Ready In:
- 1hr
- Ingredients:
- 9
- Yields:
-
8 nests
- Serves:
- 8
ingredients
- 12 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled into pieces
- 1 lb ground turkey or 1 lb beef, cooked and crumbled
- 1⁄2 cup water
- 1 (1 1/4 ounce) package taco seasoning mix, with 1 tablespoon reserved for topping
- 1 cup carrot, shredded
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded with 1/4 cup reserved for topping
- 1 cup goat cheese, crumbled with 1/4 cup reserved for topping
- 1 cup sun-dried tomato packed in oil, drained
- 2 (24 ounce) packages Simply Potatoes Traditional Mashed Potatoes, made according to package directions
directions
-
Prepare mashed potatoes according to package directions. Remove from the stove and let cool slightly while making the meat mixture as follows:
- In a large frying pan, cook each slice of bacon on both sides until crispy. Remove from the pan, place on a paper towel and let cool, Remove all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat in the pan. Next, brown and crumble the ground turkey or beef in the bacon fat until no longer pink. Drain off the liquid and add the following to the meat: the 1/2 cup water, 1 package taco seasoning mix - minus 1 tablespoon, and 1 cup shredded carrots. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to a simmer, cover and let cook approximately 5 minutes or until the carrots are tender. Drain all of the liquid from the pan, then add 1/2 of the crumbled bacon, the drained sundried tomotoes and 3/4 cup each of the cheddar and goat cheese. Mix well. Set on the lowest heat to keep mixture warm and proceed to make the nests.
- To Make the Bird Nests: On 2 cookie sheets, place 4 six-inch squares of foil on each cookie sheet. Using a paper towel, grease each foil piece lightly with the olive oil drained from the sundried tomotoes. Fill a gallon-sized ZipLoc bag with half of the prepared Simply Potatoes Traditional Mashed Potatoes, close and seal the bag while removing as much air from the bag as possible. Cut off one lower corner of the bag to leave an opening of approximately 1/2" and squeeze the mashed potatoes onto each piece of foil in a spiral - starting in the center - to create a base of potatoes about 4" in diameter. Add one more outer circle of potatoes to create an outer wall for each nest. Repeat with the second batch of mashed potatoes to create a total of 8 nests. Lightly sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon of taco mix on top of each potato nest with your fingers. Spoon the meat mixture into the center of each nest and top each nest with some of the reserved cheddar cheese, goat cheese and remaining crumbled bacon. Remove each nest from the baking sheet using a spatula placed under each piece of foil. Serve with a green salad and enjoy!
Questions & Replies
Got a question?
Share it with the community!
Reviews
Have any thoughts about this recipe?
Share it with the community!
