Ham, Cheese and Mashed Potatoes Rolls

Indulge yourself with these savory, hearty, scrumptious rolls filled with ham, mashed potatoes and mozzarella cheese.

These rolls are simply exquisite! Great for a light family dinner served with a big green salad on the side. Or cut in slices, and they are a perfect pick-up food for your next party.
I first ate these a long time ago at my in-laws' house. That's where I first learned how to prepare this dish. But I never wrote down the recipe, made it many many times, and probably changed the recipe along the way. So this might not be how my mother-in-law makes it anymore, but today, and all for you, I finally measured and written down all the ingredients.
As you will see, this recipe is quite simple and quick. Cook and mash the potatoes, add the cheese, roll in ham, dip in batter and fry. I know ... I said FRY. I, too, always try to avoid giving fried food to my family, but unfortunately there is no way around with this recipe. Believe me. I tried! I did try to bake these rolls and failed miserably. The problem is the batter. Unless it's cooked right away, it will droop down and off the rolls. And honestly, batter is really meant to be fried. That's when its flavor comes alive and brings the aroma of all the ingredients together. You can make the frying a little "healthier" though, by using fresh olive oil, and just enough to cover the bottom of the pan. And always make sure to remove as much oil as you can from the rolls with a paper towel at the end.
Not so bad... actually, as I said already, simply exquisite! Enjoy!

Ingredients: to make 8 rolls

2 medium (around 14 oz, 450 gr) potatoes (I used russet)
2 tablespoons of fresh chopped parsley
4 oz (100 gr) of shredded mozzarella cheese
8 slices (8 oz, 225 gr) of ham
oil to fry (I used olive oil)
salt

for the batter:

1 egg
3/4 cup (125 gr) of all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 tablespoons of olive oil
4 fl oz (120 ml) of milk

Preparation time: about 50 minutes
Directions:
1. Peel and wash the potatoes. Cut them in half and place them in a pot covered with cold salted water. Bring to a boil, and simmer for about 20-25 minutes until fully cooked. Test with fork for readiness.
2. While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the batter: in a bowl add the egg, flour, salt, olive oil and half of the milk. Whisk well together so that there are no lumps. Add the rest of the milk a little bit at a time, until smooth.

3. Press the potatoes through a ricer when still hot into a large bowl. Add the cheese and the parsley. Mix quickly with a spoon just to combine the ingredients. Make sure to keep the mashed potatoes soft.

4. On each slice of ham, place about 2 tablespoons of the potato and cheese mixture. Roll the ham as shown in my picture.

5. Heat the frying oil in a large skillet over medium-high flame. I used just enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Carefully not to lose the filling, dip each roll in the batter, and place it right away in the pan. Fry all the rolls, turning them on each side. Remove most of the oil by placing the rolls on a plate lined with paper towel.