Guys, I slept until noon today. It was amazing. To be honest, I probably could have slept for at least another hour or two, but I felt kind of guilty. It’s not like I had errands I needed get done or anything, but Dan had been awake since 9am, and even the cats, who are without a doubt the laziest creatures on the planet, were up and about. Bastards.
It’s been a while since I’ve cooked any real food for us to eat, so when I finally managed to haul my ass out of bed, I figured it was time to get back in the kitchen. I didn’t have to ask Dan what he wanted — in Dan’s mind, weekends were made for bacon-eating, period. So, I fixed him a big plateful of crispy bacon and set about rummaging in the pantry for my lunch.
So many options, so little motivation to cook. I was getting frustrated and just about to give up and eat leftover sushi from last night when I remembered a recipe I saw on FoodGawker a couple months ago: mashed potato cakes. Not only did the cakes look delicious, but the recipe also seemed ridiculously simple — just mix some leftover mashed potatoes (or, instant mashed potatoes in my case) with bread crumbs, cheese, and an egg, shape it into patties, and pan fry. In just 30 minutes I had a plateful of fragrant golden disks that were crisp on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside, and full of cheesy, garlicky, potato-y good flavor. Served with a little sour cream and some bacon bits, they made for a very satisfying lunch.
Instant mashed potatoes (made from 1 full packet -- follow directions on the box) (You can obviously use homemade mashed potatoes too. That will probably taste even better. I don't usually have any though, because I always just eat every last scrap of potatoes I make. But, FYI, 1 packet of instant flakes makes about 3-4 cups mashed potatoes, so if you're using homemade stuff, adjust your other ingredient measurements accordingly.)
Using your hands, scoop out generous portions of the potato mixture, and shape it into patties. (These can be as big as you want. My patties were about 1 inch thick and 2 inches across.)
Cook mashed potato patties 3-4 at a time, about 1-2 minutes on each side. (If you're using a pan/skillet with a cover, put the lid on when you're cooking each side. This will trap the heat and cook the patties all the way around, even on the edges.)
I had neck surgery, C Spine 4,5,6 and am on a soft food diet that includes Country Crock Homestyle Mashed Potatoes (found in the freezer section) wonderful! Mashed potatoes and scrambled eggs have been my dinner this week…now I can try these mashed potato cakes:-)
Hi there, these look great! I’m wondering if they would work the same way with real potatoes? like left over mashed potatoes. I’ve never really had much luck making potato pancakes with left over mashed potatoes. Thanks!
I think so! The original recipe that I saw used actual leftover mashed potatoes. My pack of instant potatoes made about 3-4 cups, so you’ll need to adjust the rest of the ingredients accordingly depending on how much you have left over. Good luck!
Hahaha, good point! I never have leftover mashed potatoes…that’s why I had to use the instant kind ;p
This is brilliant! So clever and they look sooo yummy. Perfect for an appetizer or side dish. Can’t wait to try these.
I’ve been making potato cakes too, using smoked salmon (http://tlt-thelittlethings.com/2012/01/12/936/), but your version is on my must-try-list now!
Oh yum, smoked salmon + creme fraiche and horseradish! What a great idea. I’m definitely going to have to try that soon. Thanks!
Mashed potato is our family’s comfort dish…I love this cake version. Looks so neat – and flavorful too. =)
I know, we LOVE mashed potatoes at our house too. That’s why these were totally irresistible for us 🙂
Im making my own version of potato cakes, left over mash potatoes, sweetcorn, fresh green beans and smoked sausage. Adding a little of sour cream on top and serve with a hearty salad.
Love potao cakes, they were a favorite as a kid. My mom made these for friday dinners using canned tuna. I usally make them with cheese and add a tomato-bruscheta topping.
I’m not sure, because I’ve never tried it with sweet potatoes. But, I could see them being really delicious! Maybe leave out the cheese though?
Has anyone tried freezing/reheating them? I’d love to give these a try, but I’m only one person. LOL
This looks wonderful.. I will try this most definitely. Do you have to use the panko bread crumbs or do u think any other brand will work?
I bet they would be delicious! I love mashed cauliflower, so I think that’s a wonderful idea. I might have to steal it from you 😉
I usually use my left over mashed tators for salmon patties which are to die for. I am going to try these for breakfast with our pork cutlets and not sure if will be covered with gravy yet or not!! Vision Pork cutlet, topped with fried tator cake then smothered in the gravy!!! Talk about a good hangover breakfast! I will let ya know! Hmmmm fried egg in the middle!!
I made these for breakfast and they were very yummy. I had a little sweet corn left over also that I put in the potato cakes! I will be making again. Thanks for the great idea!
Oh, these look good (thank you Pinterest). I think I’d add a bit more when making them though. Garlic and onion bits soud good, mebbe some other spices/herbs.
These in my country (Ecuador) are named “Llapingachos” and are really delicious!! You can fill them with cheese or accompany with an onion and tomato salad.
These were amazing! I had leftover sour cream/ranch with cheddar mashed potatoes that I used to make these. I think a warning label should be added that they are addictive and tend to expand in your stomach, so try to limit yourself….regardless, one of my new favorite sides.
Have you ever reheated these? I want to make them for a potluck at work, but I’m not sure how I would make that work!
These cakes reheat just fine 🙂 Oven is best for maintaining a little bit of the crispness on the outside, but microwave should work well too. Good luck!
Made these this afternoon…I had a packet of Idahoan four cheese potatoes hanging around, so… =D But I did throw 3 slices of baked/diced bacon into the mixture. I’m only one person and I got 12 out of the batch, so I’m hoping they freeze/reheat okay!
These look amazing and I can’t wait to try them out. Thanks for sharing. I also found this on Pinterest and repinned.
Im baking these instead of frying them. I also mixed the bacon bits in with the ingredients instead of sprinking them on top because my family isnt a fan of sour cream. I hope them come out good baked instead of fried
Holy cow. These look fantastic. I am wishing I had some right now. I might just have to make mashed potatoes for it 🙂
These did not turn out for me. Medium-high heat with just Pam? Yeah, my skillet was hot enough to destroy Teflon, so you can imagine what it did to the potato cakes.
Sorry this recipe didn’t turn out well for you. I always set my stove to medium-high heat (6 or 8 on a max of 10, I think), and have never had problems. If your stove runs hotter than mine, I can see why things went south. Hopefully you’ll try the recipe again with adjusted settings!