Fluffy, light and crispy, these Mashed Potato Cakes are a simple, delicious way to repurpose your leftover mashed potatoes. Fast and easy, made with only 4 simple ingredients!
These Mashed Potato Cakes are light and crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside; pretty hard to resist! The perfect use for leftover mashed potatoes. We offer a basic recipe that is easily customizable. What I love about this recipe is the use of panko instead of flour, giving them a lighter consistency overall, with a crispy exterior. Serve them up for breakfast or as tasty vegetarian main slathered in mushroom gravy; I think you’ll love them!
Why You’ll Love This!
- Great way to use up leftovers. This recipe is perfect when you find yourself with containers full of leftover mashed potatoes. Besides, it’s more fun to repurpose your mashed potatoes into something new!
- Simple recipe with only 4 ingredients. In addition to leftover mashed potatoes, this recipe calls for simple ingredients like an egg, panko, and grated cheese.
- Very customizable! Mix in anything from fresh herbs and onions to jalapeño or bacon bits. You can add a variety of different ingredients you already have to add a bit of extra flavor!
- Quick and easy. With minimal prep time, these leftover Mashed Potato Cakes can be made in minutes on the stovetop, or for another simple method you can prepare them in the toaster oven or air fryer.
Ingredients
- Cold mashed potatoes: Provide the base for the cakes. They add a creamy texture and a mild, comforting flavor.
- Large egg: Acts as a binder, helping to hold the mashed potato mixture together. It also adds moisture and richness to the cakes.
- Panko: Used instead of traditional flour in this recipe. It gives the mashed potato cakes a light and crispy texture when fried. Adding more panko for dredging creates an extra crispy exterior.
- Grated cheese: Brings a savory and cheesy flavor to the cakes. Use parmesan cheese, shredded cheddar cheese, gruyere, Mexican cheese blend, or a variety of different grated cheeses.
- Optional Additions: Jalapeno, fresh herbs (dill, chives, cilantro, basil, parsley), green onions, bacon bits, onion, minced garlic or garlic powder, and black pepper. You can get creative and make your own variations of this recipe! Jalapeno and cheddar is a favorite around here! Or add fresh herbs. Bacon bits add a little bit of smoky protein if you’re craving it!
How to Make Mashed Potato Cakes
Place mashed potatoes, egg, panko and cheese in a large mixing bowl. Using a fork, stir everything together until combined. Add any optional ingredients inside the potato mixture. Stir again.
Form eight, round golf-ball-sized balls with wet hands.
Place ½ cup panko on a plate. Flatten the mashed potato balls into cakes or patties, about 1 inch thick, on top of the panko, turning to coat each side.
Heat a generous amount of olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Pan-sear each potato cake. Fry until each side is golden brown. Keep in a warm oven, until ready to serve. Garnish with fresh herbs and flaky Kosher salt.
***Alternatively, you can spray each side of the potato pancakes with spray olive oil, and place in a convection oven, toaster oven or air fryer until crisp and golden.
Ways to Serve Mashed Potato Cakes
- Eggs Benedict Base: Instead of using traditional English muffins, use mashed potato cakes as a base for Eggs Benedict. Top them with poached eggs, hollandaise sauce, and your favorite toppings like smoked salmon or sautéed spinach.
- Breakfast Side: Serve mashed potato cakes as a tasty side dish for breakfast. They pair well with eggs, bacon, sausage, or even avocado slices. Consider adding a dollop of sour cream or salsa for extra flavor.
- Vegetarian Main Dish: For a satisfying vegetarian main dish, smother the mashed potato cakes with flavorful Mushroom Gravy.
- Serve them up Latke-style- with a dollop of filled sour cream.
- Make it a meal and enjoy it with your leftover turkey!
FAQs
You can always add a bit more egg to help bind them together. It may also help to place the cakes in the fridge to help them firm up a bit.
This means you need to add a touch more of the breadcrumbs.
About 2-3 days. I like to make these Mashed Potato Cakes a day or two after Thanksgiving!
Yes! This can be a great way to extend leftovers and be able to enjoy them for convenient breakfasts!
Freezing & Reheating
- Once the mashed potato patties are cooled completely, transfer them to a freezer bag and store them for up to 3 months.
- To reheat, let them thaw on the counter for 10-15 minutes and warm in the oven or toaster oven at 350F until heated all the way through.
More Recipes You Might Like:
I hope you enjoy this tasty and simple recipe for Mashed Potato Cakes! Let me know what you think in the comments, and don’t forget to rate the recipe! Thanks.
xoxo
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Mashed Potato Cakes
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 15
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: side dish
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This Mashed Potato Cakes recipe is fast and easy, made with 4 simple ingredients. A basic recipe you can use as a guide for your own creations.
Ingredients
- 2 cups cold mashed potatoes
- 1 extra large egg
- 1/2 cup –1 cup panko (see notes), 1/2 cup more for dredging.
- olive oil or avocado oil for searing
- 1/2 cup grated cheese- parmesan cheese, shredded cheddar cheese, gruyere, Mexican cheese blend, etc.
- Optional Additions: jalapeno, fresh herbs ( dill, chives, cilantro, basil, parsley), green onions, bacon bits, onion, garlic, black pepper, etc.
Instructions
- Place mashed potatoes, egg, panko and cheese in a large mixing bowl.
- Using a fork, break the potatoes apart, then stir everything together, whipping until combined. Add any optional ingredients to the potato mixture, stir again.
- With wet hands, form eight, golf-ball-sized balls.
- Place ½ cup panko on a plate. Flatten the mashed potato balls into cakes or patties, about 3/4 – 1 inch thick, on top of the panko, turning to coat each side.
- Heat a generous amount of olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Pan-sear each potato cake, until each side is golden brown. Keep in a warm oven (or toater oven) until ready to serve.
- Alternatively, you can spray each side of the potato cake with spray olive oil, and place in a convection oven, toaster oven or air fryer until crisp and golden.
Notes
Panko: If your mashed potatoes are really, really buttery ( for example, if you used more than ½ cup butter for 3 lbs potatoes) I would use a full 1 cup of panko instead of the ½ cup, so the butter is absorbed and stay together better. In a pinch, feel free to use breadcrumbs.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 potato cake
- Calories: 117
- Sugar: 1.5 g
- Sodium: 313.7 mg
- Fat: 5.2 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 12.7 g
- Fiber: 1.4 g
- Protein: 4.7 g
- Cholesterol: 34.3 mg
I air fried these and ya! Texture was crisp and hashbrown like. I made 7 potato cakes from our leftover mash. Froze flat on a cookie sheet. Air fried two for dinner with fried cabbage and bacon. Awesome!! Vaccum sealed 5 in the freezer for later. Nothing wasted!!
Awesome to hear Marjorie -and thanks for circling back and rating it! Very appreciated!
Excellent!
So darn good! What is the sauce you show?
Thanks, I will note and link the sauce recipe. Using our Dill Sauce here. 🙂
It is a very good recipe . I followed your recipe and it is fantiastic.
Glad you enjoyed this Tom
I followed your recipe- it was delicious and Healthy!
Great to hear!
Hi, absolutely delicious! I omitted the cheese but added sautéed diced onion and leftover kernel corn. So yummy!
Glad you enjoyed Sherrilyn!
My wife made them for breakfast and topped with poached eggs and hollandaise sauce. Excellent.
Sounds perfect Tom!
I’m thinking of doing that, too, and maybe adding some smoked salmon!
Excellent potato pancakes
So glad you enjoyed!