Hubs’ elaborate approval and five star rating of these potato cakes was a rare occasion. Indeed, I agree with his assessment – that they were NOT soggy as some can be, they were flavorful, as some are not, and certainly a “make again.” But what he didn’t know was that I changed this recipe significantly, not with the ingredients, but with the measurements of them. I used TWICE the amount of potatoes called for while at the same time using only 1/3 the amount of flour. If my math is correct that means I used only 1/6 the amount of flour meant for a given measurement of potatoes. I used no butter at all –the bacon grease was enough. As Hubs put it, the potato cakes didn’t suffer for my changes, and in his mind (and mine too) they were instead improved. As written, with the hefty amount of cheese and flour expected for the amount of potatoes called for, I can’t imagine I would have liked them. Too much flour, cheese and butter for sure, for such a small amount of potatoes. So… use twice the amount of potatoes, no butter, and just a tablespoon or two of flour and these are simply excellent. As this recipe’s first reviewer, I want to be very careful that I send it off on the right foot. My four star rating, then, is better than the recipe as written and less than the five stars this recipe deserves with these modifications. To rate it any less than four stars would unnecessarily dissuade others from trying this recipe that has such great potential.
I used all of the ingredients in this recipe, but adjusted the quantities. At least in this house, there's no way that 1-1/4 cups of mashed potatoes will yield 4 servings as a side dish, so I used what I had in the fridge, 2 cups. Also, even with 2 cups of potatoes, 3/4 cup flour is too much. I didn't want to be tasting the flour in my potato cakes, so that was adjusted downward. And I didn't use nearly the fat listed in this recipe. After cooking the bacon, there was a lot of grease in the skillet, so I poured out quite a bit of it and added about 1 tbsp of butter to the pan (wanted the butter for the flavor). There still was a little bit of fat in my non-stick ceramic skillet after the veggies were cooked, so I just browned my cakes in there, didn't start over with a clean skillet and more oil; that worked great, and they browned beautifully. I think all of the ingredients are there for outstanding mashed potato cakes, but you'll just need to adjust them to your personal tastes. For example, next time, I'll add more hot sauce for just a little more zing of spiciness. Good recipe, just needs some customization.
Made tonight! I used cheddar cheese instead of American it was FANTASTIC!!!
Wanted to make a slightly faster version so I substituted celery salt onion powder and garlic powder for the fresh veggies and it worked great. Used sharp cheddar to give a bit more cheesy kick. Good recipe.
great! made a few modifications. No bacon used ham & less flour. Don't mess with them while they are cooking or they fall apart. Leave em be!
I make these all the time minus the celery and they always turn out beautifully. For those that say they are mushy or doughy you're probably cooking them on too high of heat. Mine take approximately 5-6 minutes per side and they get fluffy inside and crisp outside. Do not reduce flour or egg they act as binders and reducing them means your potato cakes with disintegrate as you cook them.
I followed the directions exactly and cooked them to a deep golden brown and the inside was like dough. They had absolutely no taste (I noted no salt listed thought that might be a problem). We couldn't eat them.
I have made this for years. I always try to have leftover mashed potatoes of whatever type. (loaded or not). Mashed potato cakes are great with bacon and eggs.
It needed salt! I added some to the water and additional in the mix. Still needed a little more but next time I make this I know how much to add!! Thanks for sharing!!
