Cheesy Potato Tots

Putting a new twist on the basic potato, this recipe transforms cheesy mashed potatoes into crispy little potato bites.
Ingredients:

3 1/2 lb. russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
4 green onions, white and light green portions, thinly sliced
1 cup sour cream
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 tsp. kosher salt, plus more, to taste
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
Vegetable oil for frying
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups panko

Directions:

Put the potatoes in a large pot and add water to cover by 3 inches. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain well in a colander. Transfer the potatoes to a large bowl and smash with a potato masher.

Add the green onions, sour cream, cheese, the 2 tsp. salt and the pepper and stir until well combined. Form the potato mixture into 4 logs, each about 14 inches long and 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap the logs separately with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 4 hours or up to overnight.

Preheat an oven to 200°F. Set a wire rack on a baking sheet and place in the oven. Line a second baking sheet with parchment paper. Line a third baking sheet with 3 layers of paper towels.

Fill a Dutch oven one-third full with oil and heat over medium-high heat until a deep-frying thermometer registers 350°F. Place the flour, eggs and panko in separate bowls.

Remove the plastic wrap from the potato logs and cut each log into 1-inch pieces. Working in batches, dip the potato bites into the flour, coating evenly and shaking off the excess flour. Then dip them into the eggs, coating evenly and allowing the excess to drip off. Finally, coat evenly with the panko. Transfer the potato bites to the parchment-lined baking sheet.

Working in batches, fry the potato bites, turning them occasionally, until golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the potato bites to the paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain, then sprinkle with salt and place on the rack-lined baking sheet in the oven while you fry the remaining potato bites. Serves 12.