Mashed potato cakes have been a staple in my southern family all throughout my childhood. I came up with this recipe when trying to put a new spin on an old favorite.
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.
Read MoreI 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.
Read More 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!!!
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!
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.
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 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 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.
I made a lot of modifications to this recipe. For starters, I used closer to 3 cups of mashed potatoes and only 1/3 cup of flour. I honestly omitted or changed the amounts of most of the ingredients and used my own. I didn't have any yellow onion left, so I used 1/2 cup of red onion but I still maintained the 1 stalk of celery and the egg. I then added about a tbs of fresh chive and upped it to 4 pieces of bacon. I put in about 1/4 cup of sour cream, 1 tsp of freshly minced garlic, garlic powder, sea salt, ground pepper, onion powder, and original Mrs. Dash. I sauteed the onion, celery and garlic together in the bacon grease (I drained some of it out) and added 2 tbs of butter to it. I added a little more butter and cooked the potato mixture in the bacon greases and butter. They came out pretty good. I was my first stab at potato pancakes so I had a few issues cooking them, but I figured it out towards the end and the next time I make these, I'm sure they will be great!
Excellent Recipe! After reading other reviews, it made sense to cut back on flour and use more potatoes. Used cheddar cheese. Used bacon bits and had a little previously reserved bacon grease to cook vegetables. Topped cooked patties similar to photo with sour cream, cheddar cheese, bacon bits and chives. The family loved it. Saving it with our favorite recipes and looking forward to left over mashed potatoes.
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!!
I made this recipe the other day when I had leftover potatoes from another meal. I didn't have celery, so didn't use it and cut down on the flour to 1/2 cup and cheese to 1/2 cup to cut calories and they were very good.
These were delicious! One of the best recipes I've ever made. I will definitely make them again. I read some of the previous reviews and followed some of the changes made: doubled the amount of potatoes and used less flour (I used 2 cups of potatoes and 1/2 cup of flour) When I was frying the first batch they started to fall apart a little so I added a little bit more flour to the mixture I had left). The second batch came out better.
these can be a great side dish for any meal. The seasoning, herbs and mustard combo in this dish is a delicious combo, but I too would add a tiny bit of salt, unless you've already done so when mashing your potatoes, I don't but I use salted butter. I always think that its best for individuals to add salt at table to their preference. Anyways, to the recipe at hand, :) one thing to consider is the consistency of the potatoes themselves - you really have to watch for the amount of flour that you use, if you start with really creamy potatoes thats a lot of liquid and to get a firm patty you need to add a bit more flour.. and then they dont turn out well at all. The key here is to keep an eye on your flour and the moisture content of your mashed potatoes. besides, its the egg that really does the binding here... your mashed potatoes shouldnt be whipped and creamy, hand mashed leftovers with an eye to less rather than more flour make these exceptional!! lastly think about what herbs your family likes... rosemary, dill, there are a lot of variations that will work beautifully!
Very good. I followed the recipe except I only used 3TBSP of flour with 1.5 cups of mashed potatoes. Will make again, the family enjoyed these potato burgers.
Great brunch food. Topped with a fried egg. Very Yummy as written. Thank you.
Had leftover simply mashed potatoes, about 2 cups. Used 1/2 c flour, but next time will decrease to 1/4 cup. Used a handful of mozzarella cheese that I wanted to use up. Seasoned with salt and pepper and egg. Browned in a little butter 5 min on each side. Served with a dollop of sour cream and a little chopped fresh onions. Served with eggs and turkey sausage for breakfast. Much simpler version.
I loved these cakes! Yummers! My Grandma used to make similar (more tame) with leftovers.
I tried to make these and really messed them up. I gave it four stars because even the mess was tasty! Since mine fell apart I just put a some on the side and added the sour cream and shredded cheese on top of the "lump" of potatoes.
I had a ton of leftover mashed potatoes and searched for a recipe...and thank heavens I chose this! It was fabulous, I let the oil get hot and I was patient when I cooked them (not in a smoking hot pan) so they'd melt inside and warm all of the way through. I let them dry on paper towels to drain them a bit and served them with sour cream and home made strawberry jam. HUGE hit!!
Made this yesterday and it turned out very mussy, i pan fry them with medium heat and it just wont shape up. Almost impossible to flip because its so mussy it just wont flip. Tried again this morning with less batter, still same result. What am i missing or doing wrong? I followed the recipe as close as i can already
This recipe is fabulous. I had leftover mashed potatoes that I wanted to use up. I followed the recipe exactly. I used my Pampered Chef scoop to scoop them into the fry pan. That way the pancakes were all the same size (about silver dollar sized). I flattened them out pretty well, and cooked until brown on each side. This was a hit for the whole family. I served the pancakes with applesauce and cottage cheese. This made for a nice dinner on a very hot day.
Wow, these were excellent! Didn't have an egg so I used ground flax seed. I also couldn't bring myself to add butter to the bacon grease, the grease alone was enough to fry the veggies in without the added fat and cholesterol. Thanks!
Made these this morning and they were great. I made the recipe as stated and everything turned out fine, would not change a thing. Love the recipe Teach09.
As others suggested, I used less flour and less bacon drippings. I did combine the butter with a small amount of the drippings for frying and felt the butter added an extra layer of flavor. They held together well and had a very nice golden brown color. I started the celery and added the onions in after the celery had cooked a bit, thinking the celery would take longer to cook. My mistake--the onions were not quite as soft as I like them so the next time I will cook them together. Very good and easy way to use up leftover mashed potatos.
Made these last night, they were fantastic! I didn't use any bacon, only because I didn't have any on hand, but will be sure to add that next time. I added more salt and pepper and reduced the flour to 2 tablespoons as others suggested. Here's a tip for easy mashed potatoes. I bake them in the microwave, let them cool enough to handle, then it's very easy to peel the skin off, and then mash them with butter and sour cream or whatever you prefer.
Definitely read the review notes. Way way too much flour if you follow the recipe as directed.
Much, much better than my mothers with egg, milk, & breadcrumbs. Did I say she can't cook?
I made this from mashed i had left from xmas dinner and they loved them all i added was a little red and yellow pepper, didnt change pans and hand formed the patties a little messy but what is when made with love, will do them many more times i am sure:)
Don't know what I did wrong, but these just didn't come out right. I followed the recipe pretty closely. The flavor was good and the outside was crispy (bordering on charred) but the insides were kinda runny and wet. After seeing that they were getting a little dark on the outside, I lowered the temp a bit and they still were wet. Hubby wound up taking two or three of them and mooshing them all up and topped with sour cream and a few green onions. The couple of changes that I made.....I took the advice of others and added some salt. I had some fresh serrano peppers that a friend grew, so I diced one of those up and used 1/2 stalk of celery instead of a whole stalk. I used more than the 1/8 tsp of pepper called for. Again, the flavor was wonderful, but they were NOT pretty! I'll try them again (all recipes deserve a second chance!) and will update my review if they come out any better. Thanks for the recipe.
Wow! These were so yummy! My changes, I did not use egg, used cheddar and bacon bits. No onion or celery, but used garlic powder...wow! Big hit!
I read all the reviews and lowered the flour by half. I increased the potatoes by a half a cup. I should have used a bit more garlic and salt. I can't use real unions here so I need to find something to put a little zip into it. BUT, I did like the results and will definitely add this to my recipes.
Delicious! A great way to serve potatoes! I left out the flour to make these gluten free, and I used smashed salt potatoes, skin and all, which added some salt to the mix. I didn't measure, just eye-balled the amounts of the ingredients. They were a little difficult to handle while cooking because they are so sticky and soft. It helped to butter both sides of my spatula and flatten them after flipping them. We had these as the main course (the only course, really) for lunch, but they would make a great potato side-dish too. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Followed the recipe and determined that it had too much flour but potential was definitely there. Forgot cheese but melted on top. Will reevaluate after adjusting but definitely found this recipe a great starting point
The flavor was great, I may leave out the mustard next time. The issue I had was that they didn't crisp well enough to not fall apart when I removed them from the pan.
This is a time consuming recipe. My husband has begged me to make this dish. It was a 5 according to the hubby, he loved them. As for myself it is time consuming, and felt it was a heavy dish. Thanks for the recipe. My husband thanks you:-)
Too much flour made this very starchy. Needs salt. The bacon was the best part of this. Also didn't care for celery in it.
Really good recipe. I've made it twice now using frozen hash browns instead of mashed potatoes. I used dehydrated garlic and onions, as that's all we had on hand. I used cheddar cheese, and the second time, I added blue cheese, too. Used bacon bits cause we don't have any fresh bacon, but I bet it's a lot better with the real stuff. I heated up some vegetable oil with a bit of butter. I used a lot more potatoes than 1 1/2 cups, and 1/3 cup of flour as others suggested. It was delicious! I'd give 5 stars, but I really only used this as a guideline, so..
Okay, these are so dangerous because they are so good. I have made potato cakes before but nothing like this. They disappeared off the table so fast. I look forward to making this recipe again.
I did not have celery, so my wife suggested a pinch of celery salt instead. This is a great recipe and I will make it again.
More bacon... added garlic... used sharp cheddar instead of American and used gf flour... numbers!
Make sure the patties are squashed down in pan enough...if they are too thick, it makes for a strange texture. Used cheddar cheese. Great way to use leftovers in a different way.
I used sharp cheddar; seasoned the flour; & used oil for a somewhat deep fry. Not to cover the cakes completely...overall good recipe!??
Very easy to make and very tasty as well. Goes well with good German gewurz ketchup. I left out the cheese . I ate more than I should have. What's nice about this is that it goes so well with just about any German pork dish. -A Keeper
Reading the various reviews I see that others have played with it as I did. I used a higher ratio of potato to flour, in fact I used a gluten-free pancake mix instead of flour. Didn't have any celery so I used bok choy, I added diced ham in addition to the bacon. Garnished with a little fresh cilantro. This is a tasty and versatile way to use up those Christmas dinner leftovers!
Very good. I had to add more flour to mine though to get them to stay together. My first two batches were a mushy mess. I also added about 1/4 cup of minced pepperoncini instead of the hot sauce and some garlic powder.
I made this for my boyfriend last night and he loved it! Don't mess with the patties until they are cooked on the first side, or it will be a mess. I added garlic salt and was very yummy! Thanks for the recipe.
I have to admit to making changes to this recipe before making it as it was written. Don't usually do that, but I thought the concept was good but had a few ingredients too many. I left out the celery and onion because they didn't appeal to me, and cut the amount of flour to 1/4 cup. I also reduced the amount of oil in the pan to 1 teaspoon because that is all that I needed. They came out very good, my husband liked them, too, but we both decided it was a lot of preparation for not much gain over plain fried potatoes with salt & pepper that I make all the time with my leftover mashed potatoes. Maybe the celery and onion would have made them better but that would add even more preparation.
Made without bacon. Made a gravy dip. they were amazing, hot sauce important for flavor.
I made this as a side dish and it was terrific. I omitted the celery and used green onion instead of white. Cooking time always depends on whether you have gas or electric heat, so you just have to keep an eye on them, and ensure the bottom has browned nicely and is ready to be turned, though I found that once they reach a certain point, they can easily be turned repeatedly to get the desired crispness. I had leftover "batter" so I added some Serrano pepper to it, cooked one larger cake and added it to my breakfast burrito, and it was amazing then too! Will definitely make again. I also made the mixture ahead of time and refrigerated it before cooking, which worked fine.
The loaded mashed potato cakes were excellent! After looking at some of the reviews, I did increase the mashed potatoes to two cups and used cheddar cheese. I will definitely make them again and would increase the garlic a bit and add additional salt, pepper, and hot sauce. The loaded mashed potato cakes were quite easy to cook and stayed together nicely.
Followed directions exactly and although delicious I would either omit or lessen the barbecue seasoning because it took away from the flavor profile I prefer.
Had lots of mashed potato left and needed a way to use them up. Think I'll be making extra mash all the time now....... this recipe was so good, we all loved it. Thank you, thank you, thank you :-)
I had leftover mashed potatoes from last night and im so tired of waisting them and tossing them out because no one in my family will eat them so I thought this recipe would be Great! They turned out wonderful! Way better then i expected! i never measured the bacon,onion or cheese just eye balled it to my taste and before frying i coated the patties in panko bread crumbs Soooooo Delicious!!
This recipe makes flavorful, crunchy patties. It's the first time I have made potato patties that are not soggy! The patties have a nice soft center. I had to substitute finely grated cheddar and Jack cheese for the American. It was good, but I think that American cheese would add a nice texture because it melts well. I'll need to change it a little for my family because my pickiest eater doesn't like"green things" in the potatoes! I will make this again.
I don't eat pork so I didn't use the bacon. Easy recipe and great as an appetizer.
This was perfect, just the right seasoning, perfectly browned. I only made minor tweaks....no bacon ( didn't have any on hand), less flour, and substituted cheese for cheddar. Will definitely be making it again.
I liked it it was my first time making that kind of stuff but what I did was I mixed the sour cream and cheese and bacon then I fried it up into patties it was good thanks for sharing
I used real bacon bits and threw in a tablespoon each of heavy cream and sour cream instead of cheese. My 16yr old son (picky eater) asked me to remember this recipe so I would make it again. Now THAT'S a compliment!
I did not have celery, so my wife suggested a pinch of celery salt instead. This is a great recipe and I will make it again.
I added salt and dried dill. I also used no flour. I refrigerated the mixture before forming into patties and frying.
A great way to "recycle" leftover mashed potatoes ! I omitted the bacon and didn't miss it.. Also used Monterey Jack cheese.
We liked this recipe and gave it four stars. I have been making potato cakes for years but had never thought of adding celery, bacon and cheese. I used about 2 cups of potatoes and 1/3 cup of flour. I did not cook the celery or onion. Instead, I chopped them in the food processor along with the cooked bacon. The raw vegetables added a nice crunchiness and texture to the potato cakes. I used garlic salt. These fried up golden and crisp in my cast iron skillet. Thanks Teach09 for sharing your recipe.
I made it as it was and was quite pleased. I'd have to think about what changes I might make next time - probably mince some garlic or roast some and add it.
I followed the directions exactly and was less than impressed. The exterior was crispy, the interior was soggy. Also they lacked flavor. I will not make again.
Oh my goodness we loved this.. didn't change a thing but next time think I will add jalapenos.
This was great! I didn't have any shredded cheese so I used Horseradish Cheese cut in small pieces. Will make this many times!
I made this delicious recipe exactly as is, with the exception of adding a few drops of milk to make a looser batter. I also substituted sharp cheddar cheese for the American cheese because I prefer the taste. Absolutely loved it!
I made these as is except following one recommendation of adding more mashed potatoes. It seemed to me very odd to have so little given the ratio of the rest of the ingredients. Indeed, do so. Now, it called my attention that mine came out a bit sweet which I don't particularly like in potato cakes but was not bad. Therefore the reason of my 4 star rating. Next time, I might add salt to balance and that would be it.
These were sooo good. I didn't have American cheese, so I used cheddar, and they were still delisious. So glad it called for hot sauce. It took it to another level. Making these again!
Had some left over mashed potatoes from the holidays and decided to make this recipe. I left out the bacon to accommodate my vegetarian daughter and they still were a hit with my carnivore husband. Very tasty and filling. I also used cheddar cheese instead of American as suggested, but it didn’t seem to make a difference. I sort of eyeballed the whole thing as I had a lot of potatoes left over. I also substituted red pepper flakes in place of the hot sauce for some spice. It was time consuming spooning and frying them, but well worth the wait. The video was also a big help!
Everyone loved them. My tweaks were or tips are.... 1. I added a little extra bacon (but drained most of the bacon fat and used butter) 2. Added a few diced Jalapenos to the onions and celery that I caramelized. 3. Pressed the balls into panco bread crumbs and formed bread patties. 4. Don't let the oil get too hot or the outside will burn while the inside is to mushy since you're running to pull them out. Lower heat and let fry longer makes a big difference.
I used about 2c of whipped potatoes but didn't alter anything else and it wasn't too floury. Next time I'll remove some of the bacon grease and use that for cooking instead of other oil. I'll also add 1/4 teaspoon of salt and use a somewhat sharper (white) cheese. The recipe isn't clear if it's 5-7 minutes per side or total but total worked for me. Outside was crispy and inside was whipped-potato-y.
I didn’t add bacon to mine but they were still delicious. We put a fried egg on top and my boyfriend’s homemade ranchero sauce. Yummy!! I will definitely make these again.
They turned out very good. I do think the next time I make them that I won't use as much flour
Did the recipe without the onion and celery because I didn't have any on hand, still turned out great! Like to try with the onion & celery.
Delicious! I didn’t add the bacon. I didn’t measure the flour but I didn’t add a ton. Also, I didn’t have any celery. The mustard was a nice touch! We will make this again.
