Potato Bacon Bombs aka Warbaconators - BCFresh Warba Potatoes

Want to know my two favourite ways to prepare and eat potatoes? Mashed and Baked! I love the creaminess of mashed potatoes especially when you add a little (or a lot!) of cheese and garlic. Add a dollop of butter on top and I'm in heaven. Not to mention that mashed potatoes are pretty much a comfort food for everyone.

And then there's the baked potato. The crispy skin and the steaming soft fluffy potato inside make for an almost unbeatable combination…especially if you add a little bacon, and sour cream! When I was a kid we always did baked potatoes in the oven but now we often grill them on the BBQ for extra crispy skin.

Let’s face it - potatoes are amazing!

I created this recipe to combine both of my favorites! The crispy skin of the baked potato filled a twist of smooth and creamy mashed potatoes. To take it over the top I added a whole lotta bacon, and a dollop or three of cheese and butter.

Hollowed out warba nuggets.

It makes a great appetizer and a perfect dish to offer guests at your next hors d’oeuvres party when you want something big on taste and a little bit more substantial than a cracker! BCFresh’s warba nuggets are the perfect size and act as their own little container so they are great finger food!

The only thing I'm having a hard time with is what to call this dish. I'm trying to decide between:

• Potato Bacon Bombs because they are little explosions of flavour in your mouth
• Warbaconators - get it? warba potatoes and bacon all mashed into one!

Which name do you like better?

The warbas been around since the 1920s but today not many fields are dedicated to them.

I found these in my local Safeway - love the cute boxes!

Luckily, British Columbians and Albertans can have their fill of them thanks to BCfresh. BCfresh provides BC grown vegetables including carrots, beets, squash, cabbage, parsnips and, of course, potatoes. It is  100% owned and operated  by BC growers.

The warba, like other nugget potatoes, are picked early in the season before they have reached maturity. As a result, they have really thin skins that don't need peeling and a firm flesh. The warba is especially good boiled or grilled.

I've submitted this recipe to BCfresh's annual recipe challenge under the appetizer category - wish me luck!

Warba potatoes are amazing grilled on the BBQ!

Prep time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

22-24 warba potatoes
3 tbsp cream cheese
1 tbsp butter, melted
2 tbsp olive oil
3 tsp course sea salt, divided
2 tsp freshly ground pepper, divided
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp chives
12 slices bacon
1 small bunch dill
sprig of rosemary, chopped (optional)
3 tbsp milk, warmed

Instructions

1. Fry bacon until crisp according to directions on package. Cool and crumble.
2. Preheat grill to medium high heat.
3. Pierce potatoes with a fork a few times. Microwave for 8-10 minutes until warbas are easily pierced with your fork (be careful - hot!).
4. In a large bowl, add olive oil, salt, pepper and rosemary. Add potatoes and gently toss until potatoes are coated with oil mixture - don't burn your self!.
5. Place potatoes on the grill and cook until skin is crispy and slightly charred (about 5 minutes). Remove from grill.
6. Cool 5-10 minutes so you don't burn yourself when handling the potatoes.
7. One at a time, take a potato and cut off a little slice off the top. Using the small end of a melon baller, scoop out the middle of the potato and place the scooped portion in a large bowl. Make sure you leave enough around the walls of the potato so it doesn't collapse. Repeat with 15 additional potatoes.
8. Peel the remaining 6-8 potatoes. Discard the outside (or eat them like I do as a well deserved snack) and place the inside of the potatoes in the large bowl. Add the cream cheese, garlic, salt, pepper, melted butter and warmed milk. Mash until smooth - if needed you can add extra milk or butter. Add 3/4 of the crumbled bacon and the chives. Combine.
9. Have your serving plate ready. Place mashed potato filling in piping bag or a resealable freezer bag. Cut the tip of the bag so filling can easily flow (opening should be the size of a nickel). Fill each potato with mixture.
10. Add a piece or two of crumbled bacon and a piece of dill on top of each filled potato.
11. Serve immediately. If you want to make them ahead of time, place them on a cookie sheet and refrigerate. When ready to serve, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Reheat for 10-15 minutes until warmed through. 
12. Serve.