Awesome recipe for potato lovers

Here I am blogging again when I should be doing something else. I just HAVE to share this recipe with you though. I've always wanted to try it and last night I finally did. It's from my heart of the home cookbook by Susan Branch. I'm warning you, it's delicious but very labor intensive. I skipped the first couple steps and used leftover mashed potatoes and it worked splendidly. Matt commented on how yummy they were several times during dinner. They have a crisp outside and warm creamy twice baked potato inside. And just think of how cool and French you'll sound when you announce you've made potato croquettes. Enjoy!

Potato Croquettes

8 medium potatoes
2 eggs, beaten
3 Tbsp. cream or milk
salt & pepper to taste
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated
2 Tbsp. chives, minced
2 Tbsp. parsley
4 slices bacon
1/2 cup onion, minced
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup flour
3 cups bread crumbs
oil for frying
sour cream for serving (optional)

Bake potatoes for 1 hour at 350. Cool to handle. Scoop potato pulp into a large bowl and mash well. Stir beaten eggs into potatoes and add cream/milk to hold potatoes together. Add salt, pepper, nutmeg, cheese, chives, and parsley. Stir well. Fry bacon until crisp; cool and crumble over potatoes. Pour out all but 1 Tbsp. bacon fat and saute onion in fat, slowly, until soft. Add the onions to the potato mixture and stir well. Form the potatoes into little balls or cylinders. Mix together milk and eggs into small bowl. Roll each croquette in flour; dip them in egg mixture and then into bread crumbs. Put about 1 inch oil into large skillet over medium high heat. Fry croquettes until well browned and put them on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for about 6 minutes. Serve hot with sour cream on the side.