Potato Croquettes

Potato Croquettes 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 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 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.