These Potato Croquettes are loaded with bacon, and stuffed with two kinds of cheese. Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside and sure to please anyone and everyone.
Potato Croquettes
So if you’re unfamiliar with potato croquettes, I’m about to completely rock your world. We’re talking mashed potatoes, bacon, stuffed with cheese, and then fried to a crispy golden brown. Yes we’re going there. I don’t often call my recipes sinful, but there’s no better word with which to describe this recipe. It is just delicious layered upon delicious. So get ready to dream of little potato croquettes dancing in your head.
What Are Croquettes?
Croquettes are a versatile little morsel. You can fill them with ground meat, potatoes, veggies, really anything your heart desires. The only rule is they must be coated in breadcrumbs and they must be fried. My version today features salty bacon and gooey cheese wrapped up in mashed potato and crispy on the outside. Let’s get frying!
Ingredients In Potato Croquettes
Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Croquettes
- Potatoes – Cubed and peeled, we’re making these mashed potatoes fresh.
- Butter – Unsalted as we want to control the salt level of our dish.
- Milk – Feel free to substitute this for cream if you want extra decadent mashed potatoes.
- Egg – Beaten as the binder for our dish.
- Bacon – Chopped up and fried to incorporate into the balls.
- Cheese – Both provolone and cheddar to achieve those tasty cheese pulls.
- Flour – All purpose is needed to form the balls and ensure it binds well.
- Breadcrumbs – I used panko which is what I recommend for everyone at home although any kind will do in a pinch.
- Seasoning – Some salt and pepper to taste.
- Parsley – It wouldn’t be a Jo Cooks recipe without this herb sprinkled fresh over top!
Dip
- Sour cream – We want some creamy tang in our dip.
- Bacon – Again fried up and diced up fine, we want to carry the bacon flavor through every component of this dish.
- Paprika – Any kind will do but I always reach for smoked paprika when preparing this dip.
- Seasoning – Salt and pepper to taste.
- Parsley – Diced fine and added liberally.
How To Make Potato Croquettes
Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Potatoes
- Prepare the mashed potatoes: Place the potatoes in a large pot and fill it with cold water. Add about 1 tsp of salt to the water and stir. Bring the potatoes to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a medium and cook for about 15 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender. Drain the potatoes and add them to a large bowl. Add the butter, salt, pepper, milk, egg and mash using a potato masher. Alternatively, you could do all this using a mixer.
- Fry the bacon: While the potatoes boil fry up the bacon and set aside. If you’d like to make the accompanying dip fry up all the bacon.
- Prepare the fry batter: Stir the bacon and parsley into the potatoes. Afterwards prepare 3 shallow plates. Fill one with flour, another with panko, and the last with beaten eggs.
Croquettes
- Roll the croquettes: Using a small ice cream scoop, scoop out enough mashed potatoes to roll it into a golf ball size portion. Flatten it in your hand and place a cheese cube in the center. Wrap the mashed potato around the cheese and you can either form it in a ball or a cylinder shape. Place on a plate or cutting board and repeat with remaining ingredients.
- Fry the croquettes: Roll the croquettes first into the flour, then dip them in the beaten egg and finally roll them through the breadcrumbs, making sure they are completely covered. Add vegetable oil to a pot so that it’s at least a couple inches deep and heat it over medium high heat. Fry these in batches and only fry about 4 or 5 at a time. Place them on a paper towel lined plate to cool till ready.
Dip
- Mix the dip: To make the dip, add all the dip ingredients into a small bowl and stir to combine. Serve hot and enjoy!
Tips For Making The Best Potato Croquettes
- These can easily be baked on a cooking sheet at 400 F degrees for 15 minutes or till crispy.
- If you want to develop more flavor you can also season the eggs and flour with more salt and pepper. For a bit of a smokiness flavor you could add some smoked paprika to the flour.
- I made my cheese cubes small because I wanted to use both the cheddar cheese and provolone cheese in each croquette. Other cheese work perfectly well such as Monterey Jack or Gouda.
- Usually croquettes are shaped like a cylinder or oval shape, but I found it easier to just shape them into balls, feel free to be as traditional as you like.
Other Ingredients You Can Use In Croquettes
Feel free to have fun with this recipe! I’ve had croquettes before that even used salted cod, so the world really is your oyster here in terms of what tastes delicious in these little morsels. For gluten free, feel free to use gluten free flour and gluten free bread crumbs.
Storing Your Leftover Potato Croquettes
Stored in the fridge these bad boys will keep for 3 – 5 days. Just be sure to place these on a parchment lined baking sheet and reheat in the oven till warm. You can also freeze croquettes. Just be sure you fully thaw them before coating in the flour, egg, and bread crumb and frying. This recipe will keep frozen for up to 3 months.
Craving More Potato? Try These Recipes:
- Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
- Sausage Potato Breakfast Casserole
- Loaded Scalloped Potatoes
- Potato Zucchini Fritters
- Skillet Shepards Pie
- Sweet Potato Turkey Meatballs
- Cheesy Bacon Ranch Potatoes
- Parmesan Garlic Roasted Potatoes
- Potatoes Au Gratin
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Potato Croquettes
Prep: 20 mins
50 mins
Total: 1 hr 10 mins
Serves: 30
These Potato Croquettes are loaded with bacon, and stuffed with two kinds of cheese. Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside and sure to please anyone and everyone.
Ingredients
Croquettes
- 3 lb potatoes cut into cubes (I used Russet potatoes)
- 8 tbsp butter unsalted
- 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
- 1/4 tsp pepper or to taste
- 2 tbsp milk
- 1 large egg
- 6 slices bacon chopped
- 1/4 cup parsley fresh, chopped
- 4 oz cheddar cheese cut in cubes
- 4 oz provolone cheese cut in cubes
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 large eggs beaten
- 1 cup breadcrumbs I used Panko
- vegetable oil for frying
Dip
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 slices bacon chopped
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tbsp parsley fresh, chopped
- 1/4 tsp salt or to taste
- 1/4 tsp pepper or to taste
Instructions
Croquettes
- Place the potatoes in a large pot and fill it with cold water, enough to fully cover the potatoes. Add about 1 tsp of salt to the water and stir. Bring the potatoes to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a medium and cook for about 15 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.
- In the meantime fry the bacon until crispy. If making the dip, fry all the bacon (8 slices in total) together and reserve 1/4 of it for the dip.
- Drain the potatoes and add them to a large bowl. Add the butter, salt, pepper, milk, egg and mash using a potato masher. Alternatively, you could do all this using a mixer. Stir in the bacon and parsley.
- Prepare 3 shallow plates, one with the flour, one with the eggs beaten and one with the breadcrumbs. You can also season the eggs and flour with more salt and pepper. For a bit of a smokiness flavor you could add some smoked paprika to the flour.
- Using a small ice cream scoop, scoop out enough mashed potatoes to roll it into a golf ball size portion. Flatten it in your hand and place a cheese cube in the center. I made my cheese cubes small because I wanted to use both the cheddar cheese and provolone cheese in each croquette. Wrap the mashed potato around the cheese and you can either form it in a ball or a cylinder shape. Place on a plate or cutting board and repeat with remaining ingredients.
- Roll the croquettes first into the flour, then dip them in the beaten egg and finally roll them through the breadcrumbs, making sure they are completely covered. Place them on a plate or tray until ready to fry. You could also refrigerate them for about an hour, this will ensure that they will hold their shape, though I haven't had any problem with them falling apart.
- Add vegetable oil to a pot so that it's at least a couple inches deep and heat it over medium high heat.
- Fry these in batches and only fry about 4 or 5 at a time, it also depends on how big your pot is. You may need to roll them around to make sure they get golden all around. Place them on a towel-lined bowl to cool a little.
Dip
- To make the dip, add all the dip ingredients into a small bowl and stir to combine.
- Serve the croquettes warm with the dip.
Video
Recipe Notes
Can I bake these: Absolutely! Place these on a baking sheet and bake at 400 F degrees for about 15 minutes or until golden and crispy.
How do I store leftovers: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 to 5 days.
How do I reheat these without the croquettes getting soggy: The easiest way to reheat these and prevent them from getting soggy is to place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake them at 400 F degrees for about 10 minutes or until heated through.
Make ahead: Make these as instructed and place them on a baking sheet. Cover them with plastic wrap and refrigerate them until ready to bake or fry.
Nutrition: Nutritional information is based on one croquette. Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
Nutrition Information:
Serving: 1croquetteCalories: 177kcal (9%)Carbohydrates: 12g (4%)Protein: 5g (10%)Fat: 11g (17%)Saturated Fat: 6g (38%)Cholesterol: 47mg (16%)Sodium: 201mg (9%)Potassium: 247mg (7%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Vitamin A: 380IU (8%)Vitamin C: 6.3mg (8%)Calcium: 92mg (9%)Iron: 2.1mg (12%)
Judith says
I made this recipe with leftover mashed potatoes and chose to bake them rather than fry them. They were absolutely delicious. I baked them on parchment paper and found that it was much easier to make a large batch by baking them in the oven. Big ;hit all aro;nd!
Esther Kim says
Hi. I am looking at this yummy recipe and it calls for butter.. but in the instructions, i don’t read where the butter is used. I’m i just blind of do you not need butter?
jo says
Thanks for catching this, you add it in step 3.
Esther Kim says
Gotcha. Thank you for the info! I cant wait to make it and try it out.
Jess says
Made these for my kids the other night and they absolutely loved them! Thank you!
Juli says
I’m going to try these in my air fryer. I’ve made the cauliflower that way and it was delicious! 😁
Joanna Cismaru says
Oh sounds interesting, do let me know how they turn out. I’ve been thinking about buying an air fryer, just wondering if it’s worth it.
Juli says
My husband and I were skeptical about it but we really love ours! We love fried foods but my stomach can’t handle the grease. The air fryer let’s us enjoy the fried foods without all the grease. I’m anxious to try this recipe in it. I’ll let you know how it turns out. 😁
Shirley Tucker says
These do look delicious. Too bad they’re deep fried. I avoid all deep fried foods now. Is there a way you’ve tried that works without deep frying?
Joanna Cismaru says
There are instructions in the recipe notes for baking them!
Analida's Ethnic Spoon says
Mmmm! This potato-y treat reminds me of what my Italian friend used to cook.
https://ethnicspoon.com/arancini/