Leftover Mashed Potato Cakes Recipe - These Old Cookbooks (2024)

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Five ingredients is all it takes to make Granny’s Leftover Mashed Potato Cakes. Using a base of your favorite leftover real mashed potatoes, you can easily make this economical side dish that the whole family will love.

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Real Mashed Potato Cake Recipe

Where did Granny’s Leftover Mashed Potato Cakes recipe come from? You guessed it, my granny. She was the mother of eight hungry children, five of which were boys.Did I mention that they were dairy farmers, and the kids got up extra early to milk the cows? There wasn’t a lot of extra money sitting around, so Granny made every meal count.

Mashed Potato Cakes are an economical way to use up leftover mashed potatoes.You’ve already made those delicious mashed potatoes, so don’t let the leftovers go to waste.Make a whole new side dish from the leftovers.

My friend Maryann’s grandma also re-purposed her mashed potatoes but she used them in a potato salad! Maryann was nice enough to share the recipe with me so you can try it too! (Check out her sweet cornbread recipe too.)

Old-Fashioned Potato Cakes

This is an old fashioned potato cake recipe. Granny used onion juice (grated onions), beaten egg and bread crumbs. It’s a very basic recipe because using real mashed potatoes that are already flavorful and delicious creates an easy base. You don’t have to add a bunch of crazy ingredients to make them yummy. With that being said, feel free to add all those crazy ingredients (chives, cheese, parsley, etc.) if you desire.

While we serve ours without any toppings, you can definitely serve them with applesauce or sour cream similar to potato latkes. Honestly, if you have some leftover gravy in the refrigerator, that would make a great dipping sauce for these!

I found this “bonus” recipe on the back of a recipe card that Granny had given me. The front of the card was Granny’s Homemade Brownie Recipe.She included this Leftover Real Mashed Potato Cake recipe on back. Seeing her scratchy writing puts a little tear in my eye.We had a routine. I would go visit her, and while we were chatting, I would flip through her cookbooks.What I wouldn’t give to do that one last time.

Leftover Mashed Potato Cakes Recipe - These Old Cookbooks (5)

Ingredient List for Potato Pancakes

  • Large Egg
  • Onion Juice
  • Leftover Mashed Potatoes
  • Bread Crumbs
  • Vegetable Oil

How to Make Mashed Potato Pancakes (with real potatoes)

Step By Step Instructions

  1. Stir together egg and onion juice in a small bowl.
  2. Add beaten egg to leftover mashed potatoes. Add bread crumbs, a little at a time until the potatoes are thick enough to form into balls.
  3. Form into 2-inch patties.
  4. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat.
  5. Fry mashed potato pancakes until golden brown; flip and do the same on the other side. Do not peak, and only flip once to prevent mashed potato cake from falling apart, and to allow a golden brown crust to form. You’ll know they are ready to flip when a brown crust starts to form around the edges of the potato cake.
  6. Serve hot.

Storage Instructions

Let leftovers cool completely. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 5 days.

For the full recipe and ingredient list for mashed potato pancakes without flour, scroll to the bottom of this post.

Why do potato cakes fall apart when frying?

If you start with a very creamy mashed potato, you’ll need to add enough binder ingredients to hold them together. The beaten egg and breadcrumbs act as the binder in our mashed potato cakes. I recommend starting with 1 Tablespoon of breadcrumbs and add more slowly until the mashed potatoes are capable of forming a ball.

Another reason the potato pancakes fall apart is because you are moving or flipping them too often. Do not move them around and only flip them once. You’ll see the brown crust forming around the edge in the oil. If you move them around, the crust will not form.

What can I add to mashed potato pancakes?

Granny’s Leftover Mashed Potato Cakes are very basic. The mashed potato base should already be flavorful, so we only add grated onion and bread crumbs to thicken it up.

You could easily jazz up leftover potato pancakes in a hundred different ways. Try adding garlic powder, shredded cheese, chives, parsley or anything your heart desires.

Recipe FAQs

  • Talk about economical! This recipe uses leftover mashed potatoes and creates a whole new side dish, mashed potato cakes. And it is only 5 ingredients!
  • To get onion juice, grate the onion. This gives the flavor of onion without the texture. Feel free to finely dice the onion or use 1 teaspoon onion powder.
  • Our mashed potato pancakes are without flour. Some old fashioned potato cakes use flour instead of breadcrumbs.That is perfectly fine. Start with a couple Tablespoons of flour and work up if needed.
  • Fry up the leftover potato cake in vegetable oil or butter. Your preference.
  • This flourless potato pancakes recipe starts with approximately 2 cups leftover mashed potatoes. If you have more or less, adjust the egg, onion and breadcrumbs accordingly.
  • If you need a starter recipe for the mashed potatoes, we recommend MeMe’s Mashed Potato Recipe from Southern Plate.
  • This is a great way to use Thanksgiving leftovers.
  • Check out our Amazon store for our favorite kitchen items and pantry essentials.

Recipe Variations

  • Add fresh herbs such as parsley or thyme to the mashed potato mixture.
  • Swap onion juice for green onions.
  • Cheese is always a great addition. Try adding shredded shredded cheddar cheese or Parmesan cheese to the mixture.
  • Season as desired with salt and black pepper.
  • Serve with a dallop of applesauce or cranberry sauce.

Old Fashioned Potato Recipes

Potatoes are one ingredient that our family – both young and old – never complain about. So here are some of our favorite recipes that feature potatoes.

Crispy Friend Potatoes

4 Ingredient Crock Pot Cheesy Potatoes

Cheesy Potatoes with Bacon

Potato Casserole with Rice Krispies

Instant Pot Potato Soup

Mom’s Ham and Cheesy Potato Casserole

Leftover Mashed Potato Salad

Crock Pot Cube Steak with Mashed Potatoes

How do you spruce up day old mashed potatoes?

Add a beaten egg, chopped onion, fresh herbs and some type of bread crumbs (crackers, panko, store-bought bread crumbs) and form into patties. Fry in a large skillet in vegetable oil until crisp on both sides.

Leftover Mashed Potato Cakes Recipe - These Old Cookbooks (18)

Print Recipe

5 from 3 votes

Granny’s Leftover Mashed Potato Cakes

Five ingredients is all it takes to make Granny's Leftover Mashed Potato Cakes.

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Total Time15 minutes mins

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: flourless potato pancakes, Granny’s Leftover Mashed Potato Cakes, how do you make potato cakes from scratch, leftover real mashed potato cake, Mashed Potato Cakes, Mashed Potato Pancakes, mashed potato pancakes without flour, real mashed potato cake recipe

Servings: 8 cakes

Calories: 101kcal

Author: Barbara

Ingredients

  • 2 cups leftover mashed potatoes
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 teaspoon onion juice
  • 2 Tablespoons breadcrumbs
  • 2-3 Tablespoons vegetable oil or butter

Instructions

  • Heat butter or vegetable oil in large skillet over medium heat.

  • Add beaten egg and onion juice and mix. Slowly add breadcrumbs starting with 1 Tablespoon. Add breadcrumbs until potato mixture is thick enough to form a ball about the size of a golf ball.

    Leftover Mashed Potato Cakes Recipe - These Old Cookbooks (19)

  • Smash ball to form a 2 inch in diameter pancake, and gently add to the hot oil.

    Leftover Mashed Potato Cakes Recipe - These Old Cookbooks (20)

  • Fry until golden brown, approximately 2-3 minutes. Do not move or flip until completely golden brown. You will see the crust forming around the edge of the pancake.

    Leftover Mashed Potato Cakes Recipe - These Old Cookbooks (21)

  • Flip once, and fry the other side until golden brown. Serve hot.

    Leftover Mashed Potato Cakes Recipe - These Old Cookbooks (22)

Video

Notes

  • Talk about economical! This recipe uses leftover mashed potatoes and creates a whole new side dish, mashed potato cakes. And it only is only 5 ingredients!
  • Granny’s Leftover Mashed Potato Cakes are very basic. The mashed potato base should already be flavorful, so we only add grated onion and bread crumbs to thicken it up.
    • You could easily jazz up leftover potato pancakes in a hundred different ways. Try adding garlic powder, shredded cheese, chives, parsley or anything your heart desires.
  • To get onion juice, grate the onion. This gives the flavor of onion without the texture. Feel free to finely dice the onion or use 1 teaspoon onion powder.
  • Why do your potato cakes fall apart when frying? If you start with a very creamy mashed potato, you’ll need to add enough binder ingredients to hold them together. The beaten egg and breadcrumbs act as the binder in our mashed potato cakes. I recommend starting with 1 tablespoon of breadcrumbs and go up until the mashed potatoes are capable of forming into a ball.
  • Another reason the potato pancakes fall apart is because you are moving or flipping them too often. Do not move, and only flip once. You’ll see the brown crust forming around the edge in the oil. If you move them around, the crust will not form.
  • Some old fashioned potato cakes use flour instead of breadcrumbs. That is perfectly great. Start with a couple tablespoons and work up if needed.
  • Fry up the leftover potato cake in vegetable oil or butter. Your preference.
  • This leftover mashed potato pancake recipe starts with approximately 2 cups leftover mashed potatoes. If you have more or less, adjust the egg, onion and breadcrumbs accordingly.
  • Looking for more potato recipes? Try our 4 Ingredient Crock Pot Cheesy Potatoes, Cheesy Potatoes with Bacon, Instant Pot Potato Soup and Mom’s Ham and Cheesy Potato Casserole.
  • The nutritional information below is auto-calculated and can vary depending on the products used.

Nutrition

Calories: 101kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 42mg | Potassium: 177mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 30IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 1mg

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Leftover Mashed Potato Cakes Recipe - These Old Cookbooks (2024)

FAQs

Why are my mashed potato pancakes falling apart? ›

Thoroughly squeezing the moisture out of the shredded potatoes prior to cooking is how you keep potato pancakes from falling apart. Using the proper ratio of egg to potato is also important. If your mixture seems too watery before cooking, add a bit more flour to thicken it up.

How do you keep potato patties from falling apart? ›

Egg – This is used as a binder to help keep the mashed potatoes cakes from falling apart. Shredded Cheddar Cheese – I like the flavor of the cheddar cheese here but feel free to use any shredded cheese variety, I tested it with a shredded mozzarella as well and it turned out super good!

Why are my potato cakes soggy? ›

If you find that your potato pancakes are soggy rather than crispy, it's likely because your skillet and oil are not hot enough. The oil and pancakes should sizzle when they hit the pan. Also, do not overcrowd the pan by trying to cook too many pancakes at once.

What to do if you put too much milk in mashed potatoes? ›

Add a Thickening Agent

This is the most common way to thicken mashed potatoes. You can use what you have on hand: Flour, cornstarch, or powdered milk are all solid options that are probably already in your pantry. Potato flour and potato starch would work as well.

What ingredient keeps pancakes from falling apart? ›

I can barely flip a pancake without it falling apart on me.

Your batter could be too loose—add a little flour.

How do you keep potato pancakes from turning gray? ›

When you grate raw potatoes, you release starch that can cause them to oxidize, or turn dark. The best way to keep that from happening is to cover the potatoes with cold water, then drain them very well and pat them dry before cooking.

How do you make homemade patties stay together? ›

The very low fat content of the hamburger probably has something to do with it, but there are a couple of tricks you can use: Add 1 egg yolk per pound of hamburger. It won't add appreciably to the fat content and will bind the meat beautifully.

How do you bind patties together? ›

3. Bind the patty together. If you're going for a leaner meat or adding bulky ingredients (eg spring onions, onions, chillies), add an egg and a handful of breadcrumbs to bind the burgers.

What to eat with mashed potato cakes? ›

If you're a purist, there are really only two things to serve with potato pancakes: sour cream and applesauce. If you want to widen your options, sautern Brussels sprouts would be great and some relatively strongly flavored meat (duck, turkey, sausage, possibly grilled lamb chops).

How do you reheat potato pancakes so they are crispy? ›

– Always serve latkes hot and fresh if possible.

When ready to reheat, place in a 375 degree oven for about 10 minutes (7 if using a convection oven) until heated through just prior to serving. A convection oven setting will produce a more crispy result.

Why are my cakes so moist? ›

The ratio of wet to dry ingredients determines a cake's moisture level. If there's simply too much flour and not enough butter, a cake will taste dry. On the other hand, if there's too much milk and not enough flour, a cake will taste too wet. Finding the right balance between wet and dry ingredients is key.

How do bakeries get their cakes so moist? ›

Seven Bakery Secrets to Incredibly Moist Cakes Every Time
  1. Use Buttermilk Instead of Milk.
  2. Add Vegetable Oil.
  3. Use Instant Clearjel or Instant Pudding Mix.
  4. Use the Right Recipe.
  5. Don't Overbake.
  6. Bake in Sheet Pans Instead of individual Cake Pans.
  7. Use a Simple Syrup or Glaze.
Apr 23, 2021

Why do mashed potatoes turn gray? ›

Once they have been peeled and cut, raw potatoes will turn brown quickly. This process, which is called oxidation, happens because potatoes are a naturally starchy vegetable. And when exposed to oxygen, starches turn gray, brown, or even black. An oxidized potato is completely safe to eat.

What happens if you add cold milk to mashed potatoes? ›

Cold milk will just cool down the mash and you don't want that to happen. Cut as much butter as you need and put it into a bowl with the milk. Microwave the butter and milk until the butter has softened and the milk is nicely warmed. You don't need to boil the milk or heat it to any specific temperature.

Can you overmix mashed potatoes? ›

Overworking the Potatoes When Mashing or Whipping Them

Regardless of the technique, remember not to overwork the potatoes. Starch is released when potatoes are mashed, smashed, or whipped, and, if too much starch is released, the potatoes are gummy and unappealing.

What makes pancakes dry and crumbly? ›

The texture of pancakes is largely determined by the amount of moisture in the batter and the cooking time and temperature. Dry pancakes are usually a result of using too much flour or not enough liquid in the batter, which can make the pancakes crumbly and dry.

How do you make mashed potatoes less crumbly? ›

Drain your potatoes, but before mashing, add some butter and a little bit of salt and pepper. Mash lightly with a fork to start with, then decide if you need more butter. If they are still really dry, add a splash of milk. Then mash properly.

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