Chorizo Potato Bites with Salsa Verde

Thank you to the National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA) for making this post possible. All comments, opinions and my love for exploring new cultures, tastes, and assembling new flavor combinations are my own!

Getting together with my family and planning menus for Thanksgiving (and beyond) are two things I really enjoy during this season. But, at the same time, they can make me a little stressed. Planning and efficiency are key for me, so I can enjoy both activities to the fullest.

Each year I like to create a new dish. It's always exciting to think of ways to combine our favorite flavors in new and different ways. Just as an example, mixing potatoes with chorizo is very popular in Mexican kitchens. When I think of comfort foods that are easy to prepare, potatoes and chorizo always appear on my list. In my family, we use the combination in our own versions of tacos, sopes, and tostadas. Because of this, when I thought to create an appetizer for holiday guests, the answer was easy!

Wanting to create something new and festive with potatoes and chorizo, I checked out the dairy and freezer aisles at my supermarket. Seeing all the available products filled my head with endless possibilities. In the end, I chose to use frozen phyllo dough, (thin pastry sheets) to create crunchy baskets. One particular advantage of getting real food from the freezer section this time of year is you can buy it immediately, and then save it in the freezer at home until you need it, which is very convenient! They're like holiday helpers because my time will be limited when family comes.

Also, I discovered I could buy the potatoes already washed, peeled, and cut—a great idea for saving a lot of prep time. So here are my tips for lower stress holiday celebrations:

Plan your menus.
Do your shopping ahead of time.
Take advantage of the convenience and freshness of products from the freezer and dairy aisles.

Now for my recipe. The sweetness and softness of the potatoes pair perfectly with the spiciness of the chorizo. Then I top it with delicious mozzarella, salsa verde, and sour cream. They can be made with pork chorizo, or with soy chorizo, for a meatless appetizer.

Makes 48 bites

1 box Athens® Fillo dough (phyllo pastry sheets) Save even more time with the Athens® mini fillo shells
Olive oil cooking spray
2 Tablespoons olive oil
4 cups Simply Potatoes® Shredded Hash Browns
Garlic powder to taste
1 (9 oz) tube pork chorizo
Salt to taste
1 package Galbani® Mozzarella cheese
Daisy® sour cream
Salsa verde – click on the link to see my recipe

1. You will also need two-24, or four-12, mini cupcakes tins.

2. Pre-heat oven at 350 degrees F.

3. Very important: Thaw phyllo dough according to the instructions on the package. You will use just one of the two rolls.

4. Spray the mini-cupcake tins with cooking oil.

5. Take the phyllo dough roll, and unroll it. Carefully, take one of the sheets and place it on a flat and clean surface. Spray with cooking oil to cover the entire sheet lightly. Add a second sheet on top of the first one, spray cooking oil again, repeat until you have 4 sheets of phyllo dough. (Cover remaining sheets with a wet paper towel or plastic wrap to prevent drying until you need them).

6. Cut 12 even squares (3×4). Take one of the squares, carefully separate and stagger the sheets so the corners of each layer show, and then press the restacked sheets into a cupcake cup. Repeat until you finish with the first 12. Repeat the entire process three more times until you finish with all 48.

7. Bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool down for 3-5 minutes and transfer to a plate.

8. While phyllo is cooking. Add two tablespoons of olive oil in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. When olive oil is heated, add simply potatoes to the pan, and cook until potatoes are golden brown. Add garlic powder to taste. While potatoes are browning, in a separate pan add the chorizo and cook until it bubbles, then lower the heat and let it cook gently for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once both are cooked, mix the potatoes and chorizo together and salt to taste.

9. Fill each phyllo basket with the potato-chorizo mixture, top with shredded mozzarella cheese, sour cream and salsa verde.

Enjoy!

For more holiday meal inspiration, check out the NFRA over at www.EasyHomeMeals.com and our “Cool Food Panel” board on Pinterest here.

Happy Holidays!

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Silvia Martinez

Silvia started bilingual website Mama Latina Tips in 2009 to connect and share her stories, recipes and culture with readers. Silvia loves dancing, cooking, watching movies, reading, throwing Mexican parties and spending time with family and friends. Silvia is the winner of The Great American Recipe.

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