Last updated on April 28, 2019 by Liza Hawkins
Mashed potatoes might be the quintessential comfort food. Or, at least, my quintessential comfort food. Mashed potato pancakes? Ahhh … divine.
It’s rare that I whip up a batch of mashed potatoes and have leftovers “just because,” so I have to be intentional about it and throw in an extra potato or two to ensure leftover mashed potato goodness.
I use a basic mashed potato recipe that’s no fail, and super yummy.
It involves whatever potatoes are on sale (though my favorites are red skin OR russet because I believe they make the creamiest mash), whole milk, salted butter, salt, a dash of black pepper, and a hand-held mixer.
Some of you are thinking: No, no, no. You need to be using a RICER.
Or maybe: HELLO! Mashing by hand is the only way!
Well, both of those are awesome.
Know what though?
A hand-held mixer produces a fluffy mashed potato—whipped, even—that pretty much melts in your mouth.
Also, it’s an easy technique, which I happen to love.
So, back to the leftovers.
I have no issues with pairing leftover mashed potatoes with other dinners during the week.
That’s the beauty of having leftover sides! They make producing supper a breeze, even three days later.
You can, however, transform leftover mashed potatoes into something entirely different.
Maybe you use them to top a Shepherd’s Pie, or fold them into another root vegetable (okay, a potato is technically a tuber, but you know what I mean) to make something like this mash-up: Whipped Parsnips and Potatoes.
Or, something entirely different.
These mashed potato pancakes were the result of a skipped breakfast and a need for a quick (and mouth-watering) lunch.
They’d make an awesome dinner side, too.
I had about two cups of leftover mashed potatoes sitting in the fridge from dinner the night before.
I mixed them with a little flour, shredded onion (sliced green onions would be delish, too), and fresh chopped parsley.
Then I formed half-inch patties (using about a quarter cup of mashed potatoes), dredged them in seasoned flour, and then seared them in a hot buttered pan for a few minutes on each side.
It’s a delicate process, flipping these mashed potato pancakes.
You must ensure a good crust on the first side before daring to flip, otherwise you could end up with “Mashed Potato Lump” instead of “Mashed Potato Pancakes.”
That’d probably still taste good, but … hmmm … it’s just not the same.
A little sad, even.
I topped my mashed potato pancakes with more butter (why not?), and a dollop of sour cream would’ve gone nicely, too.
Mashed Potato Pancakes
These mashed potato pancakes are the best way to use up leftover mashed potatoes!
Ingredients
- 2 cups leftover mashed potatoes, chilled
- 1/2 yellow onion, grated
- 1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley
- 1 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 cup salted butter
Instructions
- Preheat a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add the butter.
- While the butter's melting, gently fold the mashed potatoes, onion, parsley and 2 tablespoons of the flour together in a large bowl.
- Mix the rest of the flour, the salt, pepper, and garlic powder together on a plate.
- Form the potatoes into 1/2" thick disks, using about 1/4 cup of the mashed potato mixture. The warmer the potatoes get, the harder it will be to keep them from sticking to your hands—so, work quickly!
- Pat each mashed potato pancake into the flour mixture after it's been formed, flipping it a few times to ensure an even and good coating.
- Place the mashed potato pancakes into the preheated, buttered skillet, and let them cook for 3 to 4 minutes—until they're a deep golden brown, and have a nice crust. Gently flip the mashed potato pancakes, and cook them for about 2 minutes more on the other side, until they're a deep golden brown on that side, too.
- Serve immediately with more butter, and a dollop of sour cream if you like!
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