Crispy (No-Fry) Potato Pancake Poppers

1. Gather all ingredients.

2. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Very generously brush cups of a 24-cup mini muffin tin with melted butter. Place the tin on a baking sheet and set aside.

3. Add cold water to a large bowl until 1/3 full. Grate potatoes into the bowl, then fill the bowl with more cold water until almost to the top.

4. Swish potatoes around with your hands to rinse off the starch, then pour out most of the water and refill with more cold water.

5. Continue this process until the water runs almost clear. Pour potatoes into a colander and let drain for a few minutes.

6. Transfer grated potatoes to a clean kitchen towel; wrap and squeeze potatoes in the towel over a bowl until no more liquid comes out.

7. Transfer potatoes to a clean bowl; add oil, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, and cayenne. Sprinkle flour over top, then add Parmigiano-Reggiano. Mix and toss gently with your hands until thoroughly combined and mixture feels damp.

8. Grab potato mixture from the bottom of the bowl to get as much moisture as possible, and fill the prepared muffin cups. It's okay if the mixture comes up above the tin by 1/2 to 1 inch.

9. Bake in the center of the preheated oven until golden brown on top, caramelized on the bottom, and crispy all over, 40 to 45 minutes.

10. Remove from the oven and let sit in the tin for 5 minutes before flipping over onto the baking sheet.

11. Serve and enjoy!

Chef's Notes:

You can use standard-sized muffin pans, but if you do, only fill them halfway so the potatoes cook all the way through.

Make sure you add the flour and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese to the potatoes in the order listed in the recipe so you don't get any clumping.

If some of the poppers are not as browned on the bottoms, you can put them back in the tins and bake for another 5 or 10 minutes.