Leftover mashed potatoes? LUCKY YOU! You can make these crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside potato pancakes from mashed potatoes tonight. No flour needed. Just an egg, green onions, seasoning and a fork.
Skip right to the potato pancakes from mashed potatoes recipe.
My favourite potato dishes in order of preference (as of my mood at this exact moment): potato chips, french fries, potato pancakes, gnocchi. TWO of the things on my list are made with leftover mashed potatoes.
I have an easy gnocchi recipe that uses leftover mashed potatoes and then there's my potato pancakes. The love of my life.
I usually get a craving for them just by looking at the jars of homemade chili sauce in my kitchen cupboard. Get my chili sauce recipe here if you're wanting to make some of the good homemade stuff.
I have the same reaction when I spot horseradish in my fridge only that ends with me making an entire roast beef dinner. I think we all know what I end up making when I spot the bottle of ketchup. Yes french fries. In fact, I believe I make some pretty perfect french fries. It's all in the double fry.
I'm highly suggestible when it comes to food condiments.
So you want some potato pancakes? 'Cause you can have some! All you have to do is remember to make extra mashed potatoes the next time you have them. Thennnnn the next night you can have potato pancakes out of the leftovers. It's simple math really.
Obviously these don't have to be made with leftover mashed potatoes, you can cook mashed potatoes specifically for making them. You just need to make sure you have time to cool the cooked potatoes in the fridge before making the mixture. Using cold mashed potatoes help stop the pancakes from falling apart.
I normally just eyeball everything but for those of you who like a recipe I've included one.
Table of Contents
potato Pancake Recipe
- Preheat oven to 210 F for keeping finished pancakes warm.
- Slice a couple of green onions.
- Mix the green onions in with 2 cups of mashed potatoes and one large egg.
* If you're making these from just cooked, hot mashed potatoes, you need to temper the egg with some hot potatoes before adding it to them. But I would recommend cooling the potatoes in the fridge after mashing them and before adding the onions and egg.
- Season the mixture with salt and pepper.
- Grab a ball of the potatoes. About "this" much. Maybe ¼ cup or so and form the mixture into patties.
- Fry in olive or vegetable oil and/or butter. I use both oil and butter in a non stick pan for frying these. It gives flavour and makes sure the pancakes don't stick to the bottom of the pan. Cook over medium/low heat until golden brown. Keep an eye on them to make sure your heat isn't set too high which will burn them.
- Once your pancakes are cooked, pop them in the oven on a baking sheet to keep them warm while you cook the remaining ones.
- Serve with chili sauce or sour cream.
Can you see that?? I'm sure you can see that. Crispy on the outside, fluffy and hot on the inside. And just so you know, there's really no such thing as too much chili sauce with potato pancakes. I've been known to go through an entire jar in one sitting.
Not fond of chili sauce? I don't actually understand that but like I mentioned before sour cream is another respectable condiment choice for potato pancakes OR the classic dollop of applesauce.
Mashed Potato Pancakes
Ingredients
- 2 cups Potatoes mashed
- 2 Green Onions sliced thin
- 1 Egg
- Salt and Pepper
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 210 f.
- Slice your green onions.
- Add green onions and egg to mashed potatoes and mix together.
- Season with salt and pepper
- Form mixture into hamburger shaped patties.
- Heat oil and butter in non stick pan over medium low heat.
- Fry patties allowing the underside to brown until crisp before flipping them over to fry the other side. Add more oil or butter if needed once you flip them.
- Keep finished potato pancakes on a plate in the preheated oven to keep hot.
- Serve potato pancakes with sour cream or chili sauce.
Nutrition
How to keep potato pancakes from falling apart
- Egg is what will bind everything together so there's no need to add flour.
- If your pancakes aren't sticking together while you form them, you can add a bit more egg, or put the potato mixture into the refrigerator to firm up again.
- If your pancakes are feeling too wet and won't form into a patty you can add a bit of flour to act as a binder.
- Putting your mashed potato pancakes into the fridge before frying will firm them up and help them hold together while you cook them.
Where's the CHEESE?
Cheese is my favourite food group, but for whatever reason I don't like to add cheese to my potato pancakes. YOU might feel differently. If you'd like cheese, just add ¼ cup of parmesan cheese or ½ cup of shredded cheddar to the mixture.
I know I've mentioned this before but these really do pair well with the fall spices of homemade chili sauce. It's addicting. As an added bonus, while you're simmering this chili sauce your whole house will smell delicious. Less of a bonus is when you start licking your own furniture because of it.
If I've convinced you about the merits of homemade chili sauce you can read my whole recipe and canning instructions for it in this post.
O.K., you have mashed potato pancakes now what are you going to serve them with? If you're having them for breakfast then you can have them in place of hash browns but for dinner this is how I like to serve them.
What are you gonna serve with them?
I'm not sure why you don't want to just eat an entire plate of potato pancakes, but O.K.
My go-to is grilled sausage with some type of greens like swiss chard or green beans with butter.
Meat mains
- sausage
- pork chops
- goulash
- roast chicken
- brisket
- smoked salmon
Vegetarian mains
- chana masala
- ratatouille
- tempeh breakfast sausages
- cheesy black bean bake
Yes yes yes! Baked potatoes make great mashed potatoes, which in turn make really good potato pancakes.
Add 1 cup of grated cheddar or mozzarella cheese per 2 cups of mashed potatoes for really cheesy potato pancakes. Just add the cheese to the mixture after you've incorporated the eggs.
You bet you can. They'll freeze best if you cook them first then let them cool. After that you can place them on a parchment lined plate and stick them in the freezer to freeze quickly. Once frozen, separate each pancake with a small piece of parchment or waxed paper and put them in an airtight container or bag.
As long as you don't add flour to the mixture, your potato pancakes will be gluten-free.
Now that I've polished off every one of the potato pancakes seen in this photo I can plan for tonight's dinner. What am I having? Here's a hint. I got the craving while looking at the bottle of squeeze mustard in my fridge.
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Kostas
Nice recipe i ate such pancakes but they where stuffed mith chopped boiled meat. In Lithuania we make slightly different Potato pancakes. we just grate (small grater) potatoes add some flour, salt and an egg. batter must not be too hard or too liquid (as sourcream +/-). Fry on nonstick pan with oil about 10 minutes (5min one side). We eat them with sourcream, sauce made of fryed onions and choped bacon and sourcream or with curd and salmon and fresh parsley.
Theresa
great recipe- on my list of cold weather meals now - I absolutely love latkes with apple sauce- a grated potato pancake - a staple for the jewish holiday hannukah or the irish version we called boxy potatos- either way just added "get extra potatos " to my shopping list.
Karen
Theresa - I haven't made latkes since I was in grade school! I should try them again. You know, now that I'm allowed to use a knife for myself. Latkes usually include a bit of flour and are made from shredded raw potatoes. I had some sweet potato latkes a couple of weeks ago. Delicious! Yup. Gonna have to make latkes now. Thx. - karen!
Jane m Jacobsen
I've seen latkes made with shredded carrots and beets as well as the potatoes. The American tv chef, Sarah Moulton, demonstrated them. She recommends experimenting with other root vegetables. Maybe some them would translate to mashed potato pancakes, too.
Karen
Interesting ... ! ~ karen
Ariel
These remind me of llapingachos - a traditional food of Ecuador. I ate a bazillion of them when I was on a study abroad there.
They are essentially little potato pancakes, but with a little piece of white, tangy cheese melted in the center.
Between the potatoes and the empanadas, I grew to become shaped like a llapingacho while I was living there - SO delicious.
Pam'a
Ooo. Cheese. Yesssss! (That might solve the egg-allergy dilemma, too.)
Amy
These look great. There's one concept I'm having trouble with, though... Leftover mashed potatoes?
Who ever had leftover mashed potatoes?
If there are ANY left after Thanksgiving (usually the only time we allow them), they are eaten by 11:00 the next morning.
If I make potato pancakes, I'd have to make mashed potatoes expressly for that, and we'd be temped to stop there!!
Shannon
I struggled with that one too!
Karen
People! That's why I tell you to make extra mashed potatoes. Make more mashed potatoes than is humanly possible to eat so you're sure to have enough left over for the next night. I know. I know. No such thing. Sigh. I tried. ~ karen
Shelly (FlagirlinTN)
One of the things I love about livin' in the South is Potatoes is one of the 4 food groups. Now I want french fries........
misskher
I'm allergic to eggs, but I still want to make these as they look amazing - what would you suggest I use as an alternative?
Karen
Misskher - I would try making them with no egg. If that doesn't seem as though it's going to work try mixing up about 1/2 Tbsp. cornstarch with some water and stirring that in. I think you'll be O.K. with just the potatoes though. - karen!
deborahinps
Little bits of crispy bacon mooshed up with the lot and you'd have me running all the way from Southern California up to your digs, beggin' for a place at the table :)
Karen
You're in Southern California? How 'bout we eat at your place?
Oonafey @ Little Pink Houses
Are you going to do a post on how to make homemade chili sauce tomorrow? Please and thank you.
Karen
Ummmmmmmm. No. Homemade chili sauce is a bit of a "thing". I won't be making anymore until next spring at the EARLIEST. I try to make double batches. I can, however, post the recipe. My particular recipe uses clove and cinnamon and brown sugar and tomatoes and onions and celery and such.
Lavada
You've already posted your Chili Sauce recipe. I actually went and checked -- October 2nd, 2013. I thought I remembered because, although you were sick (sinuses) and had difficulty, I laughed during the post (as we all usually do)!
Karen
Yes, that was an older comment of mine from when I originally published this post 5 or so years ago. :) Sorry for the confusion.
Lifebeginsatthirtyright
Looks delicious! Definitely try them with applesauce. Yum-o!
debra b
They look gooooooooood!
Diana
That looks delicious. When are you coming over to make some for me? j/k
Anj
Okay even this has not inspired a desire for Potato Pancakes which in my view is blech.
Your gnocchi picture above did inspire though. The other day I saw this fantastic picture of Sweet Potato Gnocchi in Velvet Vodka Sauce in a magazine. It even has the recipe under it and now I am on the search for someone to make it for me.
In my other life the one that didn't include working from 9 - 8 every day and coming home and seeing to all the needs of 2 kids then doing homework for 4 more hours maybe I could think about making something like this.
I was thinking about finding a chef to come over and make it for me or taking it to different restaurants and asking them to make it for me.
But now I realized you would be perfect for this. Only you have the OCD to make something as step filled as gnocchi.
Emmy Jay
I agree with you 100% -- not only are these my favorite ways to eat potatoes, but since potatoes are also my favorite thing to eat they're also my very favorite foods, period. (I like my potato pancakes with sour cream and unsweetened applesauce -- sour cream spread on them, and bites of applesauce in-between...)
Jessie
Potato croquettes! I love 'em, too!
Sherry (BTLover2)
Reminds me of my childhood days. My mom made those all the time with leftover mashed potatoes. Shall I sing "Memories" for you (I am Barbra after all).
Alena
Leftover mashed potatoes? What is that? I NEVER have any mashed potatoes left!
holly
OMGosh, I was thinking the same thing..my memories are from the 60's :) The very best of times. Oh, to have them back. For my mom, not so sure: ) We were an Air Force family that moved every couple years, she had 5 kids, made breakfast, lunch and dinner for all of us every day, I am amazed to remember she ironed my dad's handkerchiefs. She made noodles from scratch, actually everything from scratch. Amazing how times have changed and people have to buy stuff online now just to eat cuz "they don't have time" to shop and cook. BTW, she also worked part-time as a teacher and went to school to get her master's in teaching. Now I am going to make mashed potatoes so I can make pancakes! But mine never seem to taste as good as hers!
marilyn
and if you add some salt cod hmmm...fishcakes!
mbb.
inspiration to use up my tomatoes for chili sauce and my potatoes for pancakes!
Liz
Much more appetising than stupid barnacles.
billy sharpstick
Try cooking the barnacles with some "Bay" seasoning next time.
Orissa
Do these really - work ???
Mine always fall apart in the pan - is there some kind of trick to making these pan-cakes and not pan-splatters??
ps. Love your blog
Karen
Thanks Orissa! They do really work, but I know exactly what you mean when you talk about them falling apart. Make sure your patties are firm and remember to add the egg. Just a bit. It will make the potatoes thinner but will act as a binder. Then put them in the pan and do NOT try to flip them over until they're browned. The brown crust helps to keep them together. Flip them carefully. And always only on medium to medium-high (depending on your stove). Good luck and lemme know how it goes. ~ karen
marie
best if left over potatoes from a few days earlier, they get out a lot of the moisture I think.
Karen
That's true Marie! And I've never tried to freeze them. The only thing you can do is try, although potatoes don't often freeze well. But give it a shot! I'm curious to see what happens. ;) ~ karen!
Langela
Mine always do the same thing. I'll have to try them again. Maybe my mashed potatoes are too thin to begin with?
Karen
Could be! Also make sure you add a bit of egg. It helps bind em together.
Mary
I add flour to the mashed potatoes and mash them into crushed Ritz crackers when making them into patties. Crunchy on the outside!
Karen
Interesting! I do love Ritz crackers. :) ~ karen!
Dale
Does the method of mashing effect the final consistency of the potatoes? We usually run an electric mixer and add milk plus butter to help the beaters plow through the potatoes. I may try my seldom used ricer to yield a dryer result.
Tina
As the all-time queen of mashed potato pancakes, I can tell you all how to do it!
First, when I make my mashed potatoes, I never use milk! I always use butter and cream cheese or goat cheese. Milk is too bland and watery. I also like to brown chopped bacon and add to my potatoes and some chopped green onions and maybe a mushroom.
Make a ball of about the right size and pat it into a pattie in a spoonful of flour! Flip it over and flour the other side. I like to use leftover bacon fat to make these. Yum!
Sabina
I was thinking flour too, I could swear my mom put flour in hers, I’ll have to ask.
Patty DeMaria
Our Hungarian recipe uses flour and yeast along with the taters and egg.
Mama Toto
My mother added flour too = that's the way I like them.
Sabina
Right? I think the flour makes them fluffier.
Leah
YUM! I am making some tomorrow.