Old-Fashioned Crispy Leftover Mashed Potato Cakes (Grandma's Recipe) (2024)

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Leftover mashed potato cakes, aka: potato pancakes, fried mashed potato, or potato patties, are a great way to use up those leftover potatoes from Thanksgiving, holiday dinner leftovers, or cookout potatoes. (So don’t throw out those leftovers!) This is a great recipe for kids snacks, too!

Old-Fashioned Crispy Leftover Mashed Potato Cakes (Grandma's Recipe) (1)

The Best Leftover Mashed Potato Cakes You’ll Ever Have!

If you’ve never considered frying leftover mashed potatoes, you’re in for a treat! This is one of those vintage recipes passed down from my grandma who had to be savvy with how to use leftovers (especially how to use holiday leftovers) for a houseful of kids with little money. With a few simple ingredients, we make these potato pancakes for breakfast recipes and dinner sides.

How To Make Potato Cakes From Leftover Mashed Potatoes

Recipe Ingredients:

  • Leftover mashed potatoes
  • Shredded cheddar cheese
  • Egg
  • Milk
  • All Purpose Flour
  • Green onion
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Vegetable oil, olive oil, or shortening for frying
  • Sour cream (optional, for topping)

Full printable recipe card below.

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Old-Fashioned Crispy Leftover Mashed Potato Cakes (Grandma's Recipe) (2)

How To Make Easy Potato Cakes With Leftover Mashed Potatoes Step-by-Step

If you’re wondering what to do with leftover mashed potatoes (or looking for leftover mashed potato recipes), definitely add these fried mashed potato cakes to your list!

What I love best about this simple potato cake recipe is that they have a nice crisp outside, but they are still creamy on the inside!

We usually make our leftover mashed potato cakes with cheese and onions (and sometimes bacon or bacon bits because mashed potato cakes with cheese & bacon are really good for loaded mashed potato cakes!), but you can play around with this easy recipe and added other ingredients too (like parmesan cheese, garlic, fresh herbs and more to your mashed potato mixture!).

You can also leave out the cheese and onions for the classic potato pancakes recipe (which is how my grandma mostly made her potatoes cakes), but you may find them bland without them.

Here are tips on how to turn mashed potatoes into potato cakes…

1. Make sure to use chilled mashed potatoes.

Starting with refrigerated mashed potatoes will help you shape the potato pancakes and also help them hold their shaped during frying.

You can make fresh mashed potatoes (using your favorite mashed potato recipe) for this recipe and not use leftovers, but just be sure to refrigerate them first before making the recipe.

Old-Fashioned Crispy Leftover Mashed Potato Cakes (Grandma's Recipe) (3)

2. Don’t skip the flour for your potato cake recipes.

Flour helps hold the leftover mashed potatoes together and also helps prevent the potato cake from being too runny.

RECIPE TIP: If you can’t get your potato cakes to stick together, add a little more flour.

TRY THIS POTATO RECIPE NEXT: Best Cheesy Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole

3. Make your potato cakes small.

I think one of the reasons people don’t like potato pancakes like this is because you have to get the right ratio of everything, including the size.

Making smaller potato cakes that aren’t too thick allows you to get the nice crunchy crisp outside layer with a creamy center layer in each bite.

We make our potato cakes about 3 inches across. However, you can make your leftover mashed potato patties any size you want!

Old-Fashioned Crispy Leftover Mashed Potato Cakes (Grandma's Recipe) (4)

4. Fry potato cakes until they’re crispy.

I think another mistake people make when cooking potato cakes is that they don’t let them fry long enough.

We fry potato cakes over medium heat until they are golden brown and crispy on one side and then flip and cook the other side the same.

RECIPE TIP: For best results for crispy potato pancakes, drain your fried potato pancakes on a paper towel before serving so that won’t be greasy.

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5. Why are my potato cakes bland?

I think another reason people don’t like potato cake recipes is that they find them too bland.

I like them plain (without any additional ingredients), but many people find them bland and tasteless that way. If you don’t want to make loaded potato cakes (like the recipe below) but want them more flavorful, add in chopped garlic, hot sauce, garlic powder, or onion powder.

6. Add the potato cake toppings!

Potato cakes topped with sour cream, cheese, and green onions are my favorite ways to eat potato pancakes. (We like cheesy leftover mashed potato pancakes.) However, there are many toppings you can use!

Potato Cake Toppings Ideas:

  1. Sour Cream
  2. Applesauce
  3. Chives or Green Onions
  4. Gravy
  5. Cheese (of any kind)
  6. Bacon Bits or Crumbled Fresh Bacon
  7. Sautéed Mushrooms
  8. Fried Egg
  9. Cranberry sauce
  10. Salsa
  11. Pesto
  12. Crispy Fried Onions
  13. Hot Sauce
  14. Sriracha
  15. Pickles
  16. Pickled Onions

These are good served at room temperature or warm after frying.

Old-Fashioned Crispy Leftover Mashed Potato Cakes (Grandma's Recipe) (5)

Printable Recipe For Potato Cakes From Mashed Potatoes

Old-Fashioned Potato Cakes Recipe (Cheesy Mashed Potato Cakes)

This is one of the best leftover mashed potato cakes recipes I’ve ever had and one of my go-to leftover recipes! (Can’t mess with vintage recipes from grandma!)

And, since we always have Thanksgiving dinner leftovers, I especially make these during the winter holidays. They’re just such a great way to re-purpose leftovers!

We like to add a dollop of sour cream with extra toppings to our potatocakes before eating.

RECIPE TIP: You can also make air fried leftover potato cakes in air fryer. See the air fried potato cakes instructions below the printable card.

Yield: 8

Best Leftover Mashed Potato Cakes

Old-Fashioned Crispy Leftover Mashed Potato Cakes (Grandma's Recipe) (6)

You can make potato pancakes plain (without cheese or onions) or as loaded potato cakes like we've listed in this recipe. They're good both ways!

Prep Time5 minutes

Cook Time10 minutes

Total Time15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 cups leftover mashed potatoes (cold/chilled)
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (plus extra for toppings)
  • 3 green onions, chopped (reserve some for toppings)
  • 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour*
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1-2 Tablespoons milk*
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • Sour cream (optional, for topping)
  • Vegetable oil or shortening for frying

Instructions

  1. In a large mixing bowl, stir together cold leftover mashed potatoes, shredded cheese, green onions, and flour. Be sure to reserve some of the green onions for topping.
  2. Add in egg and stir until combined.
  3. Add 1 tablespoon of milk and stir. Your potato mixture should be thick so that you can scoop them out and shape them into potato patties with your hands. (If needed, add the additional tablespoon of milk.)
  4. Salt and pepper, to taste.
  5. Lightly flour hands. Shape mashed potato mixture into small round pancake shapes. (How many you have will depend on how large you make your potato cakes. We usually make ours smaller, about 3-4 inches across, and can get around 8 or more from this recipe.)
  6. In a large frying pan, heat 2-3 Tablespoons of vegetable oil or shortening over medium-high heat. Carefully place potato cakes in a single layer into hot oil. Fry for around 5 minutes or until lightly brown and crispy. Flip and fry on the other side.
  7. Transfer fried potato cakes to a paper plate lined with paper towels and allow oil to drain.
  8. Serve warm or at room temperature. For loaded potato cakes, top with sour cream, shredded cheese, and chopped green onions.
  9. Store leftover cooked potato cakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Notes

*You may use less or more of milk and flour listed here. It depends on the thickness of your mashed potatoes to start. If your potato patties seem to runny, leave out the milk and add more flour.

Try bacon bits or crumbled, cooked bacon to your potato mixture and/or as a topping.

You can also serve them plain or with ketchup (which is how my daughter likes to eat them).

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving:Calories: 140Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 33mgSodium: 270mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 4g

Nutrition information is estimated. Changes to the recipe and use of different brands may cause changes to the nutritional information to vary slightly from the ones provided here.

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How To Make Leftover Potato Cakes in Air Fryer

To make air fryer potato cakes:

  1. Follow the regular potato cake recipe, eliminating the milk. (If potato cakes are too runny or don’t hold together well, place mixture in freezer until it becomes slightly hard and then make the potato pan cakes.)
  2. Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
  3. Spray air fryer basket or tray with cooking oil.
  4. Place formed potato cakes in single layer and cook for 10 minutes or until slightly brown and crispy. (You may need to cook longer depending on your air fryer.)
  5. Serve immediately with toppings or plain.

Helpful Recipes Tips & Recipe FAQs

How Long Are Leftover Mashed Potatoes Good For?

You may be wondering how long are leftover mashed potatoes good in the fridge? Properly stored in an airtight container, leftover mashed potatoes can be stored in the refrigerator for about 3 to 5 days. Be sure that you make your potato pancakes before you have to throw out the mashed potatoes!

Why do my mashed potato cakes fall apart?

The biggest reason mashed potato cakes fall and don’t stick together is because they’re too loose (or wet). In this case, add a little more flour to your leftover mashed potatoes in order to make them thicker. Also, flour your hands when making the patties so they don’t stick!

Are potato cakes the same as latkes?

Potato cakes and latkes are similar but not exactly the same. They both involve frying potatoes, but latkes uses finely grated potatoes while Southern potato cakes use leftover mashed potatoes. Also, they can have different ingredients and toppings.

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More Vintage Recipes From Grandma

Southern Green Beans and Potatoes in Crockpot

If you’re looking for the southern potatoes and green beans recipe that you remember from a large gathering and family holidays, this is it!

This is the traditional green beans and potatoes recipe that I remember my grandma and mom making growing.

Pair it up with a homemade cornbread for true southern recipe!

GET THE FULL SLOW COOKER GREEN BEANS WITH POTATOES RECIPE

Let us know how your leftover mashed potato caked turn out!

LOOKING FOR FUN COOKING PRINTABLES FOR KIDS?

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Old-Fashioned Crispy Leftover Mashed Potato Cakes (Grandma's Recipe) (2024)

FAQs

How do you keep potato patties from falling apart? ›

If the potato cakes are falling apart because they are too wet it might not have enough flour. Troubleshoot this by adding more flour 1 tablespoon at a time until you get a better consistency, the mixture should be somewhat wet and will have a slight stickiness but you also don't want it falling apart.

Why are my mashed potato pancakes falling apart? ›

Flour absorbs some of the excess moisture from the milk and butter that is likely in your leftover mashed potatoes, a main culprit in pancakes that fall apart. It also provides protein and starch that helps the egg hold everything together.

Why are my potato cakes soggy? ›

To get those perfectly crispy edges and soft middles for these, be sure you cook these in a thin layer of oil. Too much oil and your cakes could be a little soggy. Also, letting the mashed potatoes chill for about an hour before you cook them helps the mixture stick together.

What helps bind patties? ›

In my experience, the best way to prevent your burger patties from falling apart during cooking is to use both egg and breadcrumbs to make them. You can add eggs to the mixture and then, coat them with breadcrumbs before shaping them into burger patties.

How do you keep patties from drying out? ›

How on earth can I make hamburger patties not dry?
  1. Cooking on high heat for a shorter period.
  2. Cooking in low heat for a longer period.
  3. Not salting the mix (adding salt only on top during the cooking process)
  4. Pan frying with no oil.
  5. Pan frying in lard.
  6. Mixing in extra beef tallow during the patty shaping stage.
Jan 21, 2021

Why are my potato pancakes GREY? ›

It depends on whether your potatoes are turning gray before you cook them or after. 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.

What do you eat with potato cakes? ›

Simply toast and butter our potato cakes for a quick and easy filling snack or breakfast. Serve as soldiers with boiled eggs or with a full cooked meal for an unusual breakfast treat or for a filling snack or quick and easy meal on the run, top with baked beans and cheese.

How do you keep potato pancakes warm and crisp? ›

To keep your cooked latkes piping hot and crisp, drain them on a paper-towel lined baking sheet for a few seconds. Then transfer the drained latkes to a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet. Keep warm in a 250˚ oven.

Why do cakes get crispy? ›

The sides of my cake are crunchy or burnt.

One problem, lots of possible reasons: a/ too much fat has been used to grease the tin, b/ the cake tin's not sufficiently lined c/ the oven's too hot, d/ the cake's been left in the oven for too long or e/ it contains a fat not suitable for baking.

Can you toast potato cakes? ›

Simply toast and butter our Potato Cakes for a quick and easy filling snack or breakfast. Serve as soldiers with boiled eggs or with a full cooked meal for an unusual breakfast treat, or for a filling snack or quick and easy meal on the run, top with baked beans and cheese. When toasting, toast to a light golden brown.

Why are my cakes crispy on the outside? ›

Problem: The sides of my cake are crunchy or burnt.

It could be that too much fat has been used to grease the tin; the cake tin wasn't lined sufficiently; the oven was too hot; the cake was left in the oven for too long or a fat that is not suitable for baking has been used.

What does adding an egg to mashed potatoes do? ›

They just taste rich (almost impossibly so). They do, however, feel creamy, because egg yolks are also emulsifiers (and are, in fact, the ingredient in mayo that makes it an emulsifier). The yolk emulsifies water and fat to create a cohesive, velvety bite, while providing a little fat and body of its own.

How do you bind patties together? ›

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.

How do you keep homemade patties together? ›

Add 1 egg yolk per pound of hamburger. It won't add appreciably to the fat content and will bind the meat beautifully. The other thing you can do is add canned, drained, crushed black beans or chickpeas to the hamburger. The starch from the beans will bind the meat together and add an interesting taste.

How do you hold patties together? ›

My rule of thumb for helping burgers stick together on the grill:
  1. Add 1 egg per pound of meat.
  2. Add 1/4 cup bread crumbs per pound of meat.
  3. Let patties rest in the fridge for 15-20 minutes before grilling.
Jun 27, 2019

How do you keep your patties flat? ›

Place your thumb on the patty and press down gently. Make it so the patty is about 12 in (1.3 cm) thick in the center. Its edges will still be about 34 in (1.9 cm) thick. That small indentation is enough to help the burger hold its shape.

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