smoked salmon potato cups

You could peel, shred, and drain the potatoes yourself, but why? I can always find pre-packaged shredded hash browns (Simply Potatoes is the brand my grocery store stocks) when I need them. You'll need a mini muffin pan to make these, but it's worth the investment if you don't already have one, as there are tons of appetizers you can make with it.

makes 2 dozen potato cups

3 1/2 cups shredded hash browns
1 1/2 cups sour cream
6 oz nova style, thin-sliced smoked salmon, sliced into 24 pieces
1 bunch fresh chives, finely chopped
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp salt
1 tbsp pepper
non-stick cooking spray (optional)

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Liberally grease the inside of a (24 cup) mini muffin pan with cooking spray or olive oil. Toss hash browns with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spoon approximately 2 tablespoons of hash browns into each muffin cup and use your fingers to press into pan to create a cup (some hash browns will stick out over the top of the pan). Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool before removing from pan. Place potato cups onto serving dish.

Just before serving, spoon 1 tablespoon of sour cream into each potato cup, top with 1 slice salmon and a pinch of chives. Serve at room temperature.