Have you ever had leftover mashed potatoes? Loaded Mashed Potato Cakes are a great use for them! This recipe starts with 1 cup of mashed potatoes and can easily be doubled. Vary how you garnish to suit individual preferences. If you don’t have a favorite mashed potato recipe, try this one for Creamy Mashed Potatoes ! Yukon Gold potatoes make the best, but you can use Russet.
The Mix :
Slice bacon into thin strips and cook over MED-LOW heat until golden brown. Remove to paper towels to drain, then crumble into bits pnce cooled. Pour the grease out of the pan except for a slight amount. Saute the onions until slightly softened in the same pan.
Mix the all of the potato cake ingredients together until well combined.
Forming the Cakes:
To create the cakes, scoop out the mixture with a large scoop. Slightly press and flatten each scoop into the Panko crumbs. Flip over and press again into the crumbs. Remove them to a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Press in and round out the edges with the side of you hands, if necessary. They should be about 1/2″-3/4″ thick. Place pan in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to firm up a bit before cooking.
The Quick Fry:
In the same small skillet, place about 1/2″ of olive oil. Allow the temperature to get to 350 degrees and not mich higher. The setting on this burner was set to just under halfway. A quick way to tell if you have reached that temperature is to place the handle of a wooden spoon in the oil briefly. If it bubbles around it, it’s ready to use. Drop the chilled potato cakes into the oil for 1 minute then flip over for 1 more minute. Remove to folded paper towels to absorb any excess oil. Repeat until all are cooked.
Garnish:
Now, let’s add the loaded garnishes! I started with a small scoop of light sour cream. Sprinkle on some shredded cheese, the reserved bacon bits and a few slices of green onion.
Ready to Eat:
Don’t wait any longer! Take a bite of one of these Loaded Mashed Potato Cakes. The Panko crumbs gave it just the right texture for a bit of a crunch. Perhaps knowing that it was briefly fried in olive oil will give you a feeling that it’s a little bit healthy? I’m sure you could use avocado oil also, but I haven’t tried that yet. I’m womdering if I could make a smaller version of these for an appetizer. That sounds like a plan for the next time!
Loaded Mashed Potato Cakes
Ingredients
- 1 c leftover mashed potatoes
- 1/2 c (2oz) shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 T flour
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 t Dijon mustard
- 1/4 t black pepper, freshly ground
- 1/4 t sea salt
- 3 slices of bacon, cut into thin strips, divided
- 1 T red onion, finely diced
- 1 c Panko crumbs
- olive oil
Garnishes
- light sour cream
- shredded cheddar cheese
- thinly sliced green onions or chives
- reserved bacon bits
Instructions
- Cook the thinly sliced bacon strips of bacon over MEDIUM LOW heat until golden. Remove to a paper towel to drain. Crumble them once cooled. Use 2/3 of this in the potato mixture.
- Drain off the bacon grease, leaving a slight residue to briefly saute the onions until translucent. Remove and set aside.
- Combine the mashed potatoes, cheese, flour and Dijon along with the salt, pepper, onion and crumbled bacon.
- Using a large scoop, create about 9 mounds of potatoes.
- Pour Panko crumbs onto a flat dish. Gently press one mound at a time into the crumbs. Flip it over and press the other side into the crumbs, flattening it out slightly. Place them on a parchment paper-lined pan. Place in the refrigerator for about 20-30 minutes to set.
- Place about 1/2 inch of olive oil in the same small skillet. Heat it to 350°F. This was just under medium heat on my range.
- I placed 3 in the skillet at a time. Do not overcrowd! Cook 1 minute per side. Place on paper towels to drain off any excess oil.
- Garnish and serve warm.
