I could just swim in a giant batch of mashed potatoes during the holidays…they are my absolute favorite holiday side! If I’m lucky enough to snag leftovers after Thanksgiving, I love to make these reimagined potato cakes. I was inspired by www.justataste.com. As if the flavor of mashed potatoes aren’t delicious already, the added goodies enhance them even more. They remind me of smashed loaded baked potatoes with the cheese, sour cream, chives and bacon…YUM!

 -Melanie

Health tips: Cheat recipe, kid friendly

 

Ingredients (about 10-12 pancakes)

• 3 cups leftover mashed potatoes
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded, plus extra for garnish
• 3 tablespoons chives or 2 tablespoons scallions, chopped, plus extra for garnish
• 2-4 cloves garlic, minced or grated
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 3 tablespoons flour, plus 1/2 cup for dredging
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil/1 tablespoon butter for frying
• Sour cream
• Bacon, cooked and crumbled

Steps

1. In a large bowl, stir together the mashed potatoes, cheese, chives/scallions, garlic, egg, 3 tablespoons flour, salt and pepper until combined. (See Notes)
2. Using your hands, divide the mixture into 10-12 portions. Roll each portion into a compact ball then flatten it into a pancake about a 1/2″ thick.
3. Place the remaining 1/2 cup of flour in a shallow dish and carefully dredge each pancake in the flour.
4. Heat about oil and butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. (Make sure to thoroughly coat the bottom of the pan.)
5. Fry the pancakes, in batches, until they’re golden brown and crispy on both sides, 3 to 4 minutes. Add more oil or butter to the pan as needed between batches. (Do not overcrowd the pan and do not flip the pancakes too soon or they won’t develop a crisp crust.)
6. Transfer the pancakes to a paper towel-lined plate and immediately sprinkle extra cheese on top to melt.
7. Serve the potato pancakes garnished with sour cream, bacon crumbles and chives/scallions. Enjoy!

Notes: All leftover mashed potatoes will vary in consistency depending on how much cream, milk or melted butter you added to the original batch. If the mashed potato pancake mixture looks too dry and isn’t holding together, add one more egg. If it looks too wet, add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the mixture is cohesive.