Mini Potato Rolls with Ham

from Ernita O'Brien
via Mary Lonergan

makes about 100 rolls

1 cup scalded milk

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup mashed potato

1/2 cup butter

2 teaspoons salt

1 package dry yeast

2 eggs, beaten

5 cups sifted flour

1 egg, beaten and mixed with about 1 tablespoon of water

toasted sesame seeds and poppy seeds

sliced, cooked ham

softened butter

hot-sweet or honey mustard, mixed with a little mayonnaise

Mix first five ingredients and let cool to lukewarm. Dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup warmwater (see instructions on package for temperature) and add along with beaten eggs to first mixture. Add flour, mix and gather into a ball. Turn dough in a bowl sprayed with vegetable spray, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Knead dough briefly on floured board and roll to about 3/8 to 1/2-inch thick, cut rounds with a small biscuit cutter (2-inch), and place about 1 inch apart on a cookie sheet that has been lined with parchment paper. Cover with a towel and let rise until doubled, about one hour or so. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush tops with beaten egg/water mixture and sprinkle with sesame seeds or poppy seeds, or leave some plain. Bake for about 20 minutes, until golden. Place rolls on a rack and cool completely.

To make sandwiches, slice each roll, spread bottom half with butter and add a piece or two of ham. Spread top half with mustard/mayonnaise mixture, then place on top of ham. Heat rolls loosely covered with foil on a cookie sheet at 350 degrees until hot, or microwave, uncovered, 15 rolls at a time on a plate for about 1 minute.

These rolls also work well for mini hamburgers or with other sandwich fillings. 

My mom and Ernita used to have a catering business out of our house called Just Cooks. These were one of their specialties and certainly a favorite of mine!