Mashed Potato Cakes (Potato Patties)

Mashed Potato Cakes made from leftover mashed potatoes and a few simple ingredients are a great way to use up leftover mashed potatoes sitting in your fridge. These potato patties are crispy on the outside, soft inside and absolutely delicious!

I love to make potato patties with leftover mashed potatoes whenever we have leftover potatoes sitting in the fridge. I love using potatoes mashed with cheddar cheese from my homemade potato pierogi recipe.

Usually the only time we have a lot of leftovers is after Thanksgiving dinner or Christmas. But this easy recipe is perfect any time of the year!

To be clear, this leftover mashed potato recipe is not for classic potato pancakes or traditional latkes. It’s just a great way to use up leftover spuds!

Ingredients

You only need 3 main ingredients for leftover mashed potato cakes. Add extra spices or ingredients to suit your tastes.

• Mashed potatoes — Cold mashed potatoes straight from the fridge work best.
• Large egg — to help bind the potatoes
• Flour — all purpose flour to help form the cakes
• Oil — you’ll need a little vegetable oil or olive oil for pan frying the cakes. Add a little butter for extra flavor if you like. If you’re using a non-stick skillet, you won’t need much oil.
• Cheddar cheese — optional, but adds flavor. Parmesan cheese is another good option.
• Onion powder — optional, but adds flavor without having to chop up onions

Note — I don’t list extra spices in the recipe because we’re using leftovers. Since everyone has their own recipe for mashed potatoes, the flavors will be different.

How to Make Potato Patties with Leftover Mashed Potatoes

First, beat the egg slightly. Then mix the beaten egg, all purpose flour and the leftover mashed potatoes in a mixing bowl.

You only need to mix everything until it comes together and the mixture is firm enough to work with.

The potato mixture shouldn’t be gummy. If it feels sticky, you can add a little more flour. The amount of flour depends on the amount of mashed potatoes you have.

If you want to add cheese, onion powder or extra salt and pepper, mix those in now.

Next, take a tablespoon or 2 of the mashed potato mixture, and roll it into a ball. Then, gently flatten the potato ball into a small circle.

The patties should be about 1/2 inch thick. Add the oil to a large skillet, and heat over medium heat.

When the pan is hot, carefully place potato cakes into the pan. You can fit up to 4 mashed potato cakes in a single layer at a time, depending on how large your skillet is.

Cook Time

Cook the potato patties for about 2 – 3 minutes per side, or until golden brown and heated through.

You can drain excess grease by placing them on paper towels if you need to.

If you’re making a bunch, place the fried potato cakes on a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper, and place in a 250-300 degree oven to keep warm.

Don’t cover them — you won’t have crispy potato fritters!

What to Serve with Mashed Potato Cakes

You can serve leftover mashed potato cakes as a main dish or side dish. For a main dish, serve with a dollop of sour cream for dipping, fresh green chives or green onions, applesauce, green salad or veggies.

They are also delicious with Thanksgiving leftovers, like leftover turkey, cranberry sauce and sweet potatoes.

These delicious cakes are the perfect side dish for Ritz Cracker Chicken, Mayo Parmesan Chicken, Polish Pork Chops or Baked Breaded Pork Chops.

How to Store and Reheat

Store any leftover potato patties in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Use within 3-4 days. You can freeze them for up to 3 months in a freezer safe container. Reheat in the microwave or on stove top.

My family says these are the best potato cakes! I hope you enjoy these leftover mashed potato patties as much as we do.

If you do make this potato cakes recipe, please leave a star rating and/or comment.

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