Green Onion & Cheddar Potato Cakes
Whenever we have a potluck and our friend Andy comes, he brings mashed potatoes. He always says he likes to make potato cakes for breakfast the next day with leftovers and this year I decided to try making my own. I think a lot of people have leftover mashed potatoes after Thanksgiving and they are never quite as good the next day, or at least as just mashed potatoes. I added some green onions and cheddar to these cakes for some added flavor and they were delicious! It took me a few attempts to get the right consistency but now they are “blog worthy”. 🙂
Let’s get to it!
Start by heating two tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat.
Now put your leftover mashed potatoes in a large bowl Add the green onions, cheddar, egg and flour. The flour is there to firm up the mashed potatoes so they make good cakes, mine were pretty stiff so I only used 1/2 cup. If you have loose mashed potatoes, add the whole cup. You want it thick enough so that it can easily be formed into a ball and not fall apart. The first time I tried making these without the flour and they were a disaster, falling apart in the skillet.
Mix it all together, I just used my hands.
It’s time to cook the cakes! Measure out 1/4 cup of the mixture and roll it into a ball, then press the ball into a patty. Put that in your cast iron skillet and repeat this to cook three or four more in the pan. Cook each patty until the bottom is browned, about four minutes.
Flip and cook another few minutes until it is the same shade.
Set the cooked cakes on a large plate lined with paper towels and continuing cooking the rest. Add more oil as needed to completely cover the pan.
These potato cakes are a wonderful way to use leftover mashed potatoes! They are crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside. The green onions also add a nice savory flavor. We had some as a side with dinner one night and then I reheated a couple in a skillet the next morning and ate them with scrambled eggs. So good! You could also make them smaller and top with crab or something and serve as an appetizer for a party.
Enjoy!
What are some other ways your family uses leftover mashed potatoes?
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Ingredients
- 6 cups mashed potatoes
- 3 green onions, chopped
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 - 1 cup flour
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil divided
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat.
- Put mashed potatoes in a large bowl and add green onions, cheddar, egg and flour (start with 1/2 cup). Mix and add more flour if needed.
- Measure out 1/4 cup of the mixture and roll into a ball, then press into a patty.
- Put the patty in the skillet and repeat this to cook 3 or 4 more in the pan. Cook each patty until the bottom is browned, about 4 minutes.
- Flip and cook another few minutes until the bottom is also browned.
- Set the cooked cakes on a large plate lined with paper towels and continuing cooking the rest. Add more oil as needed to completely cover the pan.
- Serve warm.