Cookaholics Bulletin Board

Anyone got a recipe for mashed potato cakes, made from leftover regular mashed potatoes, that you've personally made and you know works? I have several recipes, but have had issues with them falling apart in the pan, being very bland, not crisping on the sides, etc.

We make them frequently but don't use a recipe. To leftover mashed potatoes we add a beaten egg and cheese (Parmesan, Cheddar, Gruyere, Swiss or whatever happens to be moldering in the icebox at the time.) We form them into patties, brush with cream, dip them in breadcrumbs and fry in olive oil and butter. Crispness depends on the breadcrumbs used and lately we've been using Panko with very good results. To a cup of Panko, we add about 1/2 cup grated Parmesan and maybe a speck of chopped parsley. We make the patties about 1/2" thick and the sides don't get brown.

Hope this helps.

fitzie

Leftover mashed potatoes??!

My thoughts exactly.

Fitzie,

How much oil do you fry them in?

Fuzzy, bout 1/4" of oil I'd guess. Not too much.

Re: leftover mashed potatoes. I grew up in a large family and have never learned how to make mashed potatoes for 2. Leftovers are great for many things including shepherd's pie.

When I make mashed potatoes. while the potatoes are boiling I boil a couple of cloves of garlic in a small saucepan. They take about the same time. Put the cooked garlic and heavy cream in my Little Oskie and whiz them up. Add along with a nice amount of butter to the cooked potatoes and have the best garlic mashed potatoes ever made. Or at least that's what my family says.

fitzie

Fuzz,

Only pre-geezers will remember this, but "Priscilla's Pop" used to get mashed potato sandwiches for lunch every day. That sounded awful.

Fried mashed potato patties were a real treat when I was a kid. Mixing flour into the potatoes helps them stick together. Dredging in flour/cornstarch and frying in butter makes for that nice crust. I have similar problems with the sides not browning and the patties falling apart. I haven't made these recently but thinner patties eliminates some problems with the sides.

I have fonder memories of mashed potato balls and make these whenever leftover mashed potatoes are available. Left-over mashed potato balls are even better. If these are leftover, I think you reform them into potates and twice-bake them.

Dayle Granzeau’s Recipe for Mashed Potato Balls and Leftover Mashed Potato Balls

2 cups mashed potatoes
1 cup bread crumbs
2 Tbsp. flour
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. chopped parsley

Mix well. Form into 2” balls. Let stand for an hour.
Simmer 10 minutes in salted water. Serve with really good brown sauce.

Dayle Granzeau's Recipe for Leftover Mashed Potato Balls

Slice potato balls 1/2” thick
Brown in butter
Serve alone or with brown sauce

Josh, Cubans use leftover mashed potatoes to make Papas Rellenas. We use leftovers that are on the stiff side as opposed to runny. We then make half a ball, put a mound of picadillo in the middle and put the other half ball on top. Toss the whole thing in egg and then Cuban cracker crumbs and deep fry until golden. I guess you could fill yours with cheese or anything you'd use for a non-meat wonton. They are so good. They can be made ahead and then reheated in a convection oven.

Fitzie, Tim, Alina:

Made 'em this morning. Turned out great; apparently the main thing I've been doing wrong in the past was simply making the cakes too big, which meant they didn't hold together. Below is the recipe I made up, which is based on the advice above plus a recipe from Fields of Greens.

Alina, the Papas Rellenas sound great. I'm thinking chopped spiced shrimp as a stuffing.

Potato Cakes

1 1/2 cups leftover garlic mashed potatoes (with dairy), chilled overnight
1 beaten egg
2 heaping tbs flour
2 tbs minced parsley
1/2 cup grated smoked gouda
black pepper
3/4 cup bread crumbs

Mash everything but the bread crumbs together using a heavy-duty pastry blender. Form into 2" to 3" diameter patties with wet hands. Press each patty into the bread crumbs until coated on both sides. Put in a container and chill overnight.

Coat a nonstick pan 1/8" deep in vegetable oil. Heat medium-high; cakes should sizzle vigorously. Fry the potato cakes in batches, about 4 minutes per side (until brown and crispy), adding more oil as necessary. Serve hot, makes 8-11 cakes.

I'm guessing that chilling the potatoes ahead of time then chilling the mixture again is key to having them hold together.