Mashed Potato Bacon Cheddar Tater Tots

We had some leftover mashed potatoes and we were running low on potatoes to make homemade fries so I decided to use what I had on hand to make the meal more complete.  I decided that I was going to make the Mozzarella and Parmesan tater tots that I saw online (which I can't find again because I made it so long ago but might be closest to these) and mix up another batch with bacon and cheddar which I was totally making up because that sounded yummy to me.  I started with leftover mashed potatoes.

I added in the bacon and the cheese to try to make it way more flavorful and exciting.  I think that I could have added even more after making them.

Then I added in an egg that was already beaten.

I put some flour in the bowl and formed them into tater tot size nuggets...although I think that mine might have been too big.

After they were coated, I put them on the edge of the plate to wait to fry.

 Once they fried up, I put them on the paper towel to dry.

They ended up being a little bigger then I was wanting but it was hard to work with the sticky potatoes so it was the best I could do for my first time.

They were pretty tasty when they were hot and crispy out of the fryer but I think that they would have been even tastier with the breadcrumbs on the outside that many of the recipes suggested.  I would totally try this again but I might add a little flour to the mixture, make them smaller, add more fillings and bread the outside.  I think it is a great way to use up the leftover mashed potatoes that otherwise wouldn't be eaten.  It was a great quick addition to our meal which is always helpful and used up leftovers that weren't being eaten.  I hope that you try out your own combination for yourself.