Thumbnail image from Food Network
Are you looking for an easy springtime dish that’s perfect for guests? These bite-sized beauties are a great way to use up Easter ham and those frozen veggies in the back of your freezer. Inspired by the Food Network Kitchen’s recipe “Potato Nests with Peas, Ham and Cream Cheese”, this springtime recipe is perfect for kids, snacks, breakfast or hors d’oeuvres.
Ingredients
- 12 cup muffin tin
- Cooking spray or oil
- 2-3 slices of thick cut deli ham
- 3 ½ cups frozen shredded hash browns, thawed
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 2 tablespoons milk
- ¼ cup frozen vegetables of your choosing
- 2-3 tablespoons of fresh chopped chives
- Salt and fresh ground black pepper
- Paprika (as garnish)
How to Make Springtime Ham and Potato Nests
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and lightly grease the muffin tin with an even coat of oil.
- Cut ham into matchstick-style slices, about the size of the hash brown slices. Reserve a 1/3 cup of ham for garnish. In a medium bowl, mix the rest of the ham with measured hash browns and salt and pepper to taste. Portion mixture among sprayed cups and press into the sides, about one tablespoon to each cup. Leave edges around top uneven for the appearance of twigs.
- Bake until nests are deep brown at the tips and edges, about 25 minutes.
- While the nests are baking, combine in a mixer or by hand the cream cheese, chives, milk, and salt and pepper to taste. Once uniform, spoon mixture into a resealable bag for piping.
- Once nests are baked, let sit until they’re cool enough to be handled, 10-15 minutes. Lift nests from muffin tin by using a butter knife or other flat utensil and place on flat tray or cookie sheet. Cut a corner of the resealable bag holding the cream cheese mixture and pipe the mixture into the nests. You can set the nests aside at room temperature for up to 2 hours or freeze them for up to a week and re-crisp them in the oven before consumption.
- Cook frozen vegetables according to instructions until just warm.
- Garnish nests with remaining ham, vegetables and a sprinkle of paprika. Enjoy for springtime!
