#2,691: Irish Cheddar, Bacon and Potato Muffins

I've been trying to make each of the monthly muffins that Food Network Magazine put out at the beginning of the year (one for each month), and I personally thought these savory muffins sounded good, but I figured I was the only one who would probably eat these.  I was surprised that Allison enjoyed these and said they tasted a little bit like breakfast pizza...she's kind of right.  It does remind me of that a little.  The other two kiddos were not fans, although Matthew just licked his so I can't really say that counts as a true vote either way.  I liked these, but didn't love them, so I probably wouldn't make them again.  Not bad, just not my favorite thing to eat.

Also, they stick quite a bit to the paper liners, so using silicone muffin tins might be better to use!  

1 large Yukon Gold potato (8 ounces) (I'm so lazy I used refrigerated shredded hash browns)

¼ teaspoon salt

1½ cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1¼ cups buttermilk

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 large egg

3 slices bacon, cooked with 1 tablespoon bacon grease reserved

4 ounces Irish cheddar cheese, diced

¼ cup chopped fresh chives (about ½ a bunch)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a 12-cup cupcake pan with paper liners and set aside.

(I totally omitted this step) Cook the potato in the microwave. Poke the potato 5-6 times with a fork and wrap in a damp paper towel. Cook until the potato is just cooked through, about 4-5 minutes, being sure to turn it once during cooking. Let the potato cool. Once you can handle it carefully peel off the skin and grate the potato. Lightly season the grated potato with salt and pepper; toss to combine.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, melted butter, egg, and tablespoon of bacon drippings. Pour the mixture into the well of the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Carefully fold in the grated potato, bacon, cheese, and chives.

Evenly divide the batter among the prepared paper liners. The batter should fill each to the top. Bake for 22-25 minutes, or until the top of the muffin is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean. Cool the muffins in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack to completely cool.