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You will also need:
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1.
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A blender or food processor is useful for grinding the ham coarsely, but the ham could also be chopped up with a knife.
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2.
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A medium-sized, heavy-bottomed pot.
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3.
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A wooden spoon.
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4.
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A baking sheet.
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5.
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A sheet of parchment paper to line the baking sheet.
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Making the potato balls:
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1.
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Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper.
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2.
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Grind the ham coarsely in a food processor or blender or chop it up by hand.
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3.
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Pour the milk in the pot and bring it to a boil over medium heat.
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Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the potato flakes.
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When they are well combined with the milk, stir in the butter.
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Let the mixture sit for a few minutes.
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4.
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Add to the potato mixture the ground ham, the grated cheese, the beaten egg, the grated nutmeg, the chopped green onions or chives and a few grinds of black pepper and salt.
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5.
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With your hands, form the potato mixture into small round balls (about a rounded tablespoon of mixture for each ball).
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The mixture is not sticky and is easy to form.
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From it you can make at least 20 balls.
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Place them on the baking sheet as you make them.
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They do not expand as they bake so you can place them close together.
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6.
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Bake the potato balls for 20 minutes.
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Then crack open the oven door to allow steam to escape and bake for another 5 minutes.
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Serve the potato balls while they are still warm.
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An Acknowledgement: This recipe is adapted from one in the September 2009 issue of the French cooking journal Guide Cuisine.
