Mashed Potato Cakes

Mashed potato cakes are light and fluffy, delicious and flavorful, and so easy to make. They are the best way to repurpose any leftover mashed potatoes to thicken them up for easy shaping, and adding extra cheese and herbs for the best flavor. Pan-fried to golden crispy perfection, these potato cakes are soft and tender inside, but crispy on the outside. They are the perfect side dish at breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Why You’ll Love Mashed Potato Cakes

• A crispy twist on a classic side. Everyone loves creamy, cheesy mashed potatoes — and the same goes for these delicious mashed potato cakes. They've got the same comforting vibes and flavors but with added crispiness. This is one recipe that the whole family will love.
• The best textures. The exterior and interior of mashed potato cakes are incredibly different, but they’re both so good. On the outside, you have a crispy layer of fried potato that gives you a satisfying crunch. And on the inside, you’re met with a light and fluffy mashed potato center.
• They’re so simple to make. Even though this side may become an easy all-time favorite in your house, it’s so simple to make. It's a perfect recipe to whip up after a big Thanksgiving holiday dinner when you are bound to have a lot of leftovers. Plus, should have most of the ingredients on hand already, so making these mashed potato cakes won’t add a lot of items to your grocery list.

Ingredients and Substitutions

To make these delicious leftover mashed potato cakes, you will need the following ingredients (full quantities in the recipe card below):

• mashed potatoes - you can use any leftover mashed potato that you have. Try it with our Creamy Mashed Potatoes, Garlic Mashed Potatoes with Sour Cream, Mascarpone Mashed Potatoes, or Healthy Mashed Potatoes.
• Parmesan cheese 
• egg
• green onions - or substitute with chives.
• all-purpose flour - or substitute with breadcrumbs
• garlic powder
• salt and pepper
• vegetable oil - for cooking the potato cakes.

You can also top these with your favorite baked potato toppings. Try sour cream, chives, bacon bits, or cheddar cheese.

How To Make Mashed Potato Cakes

1. Combine ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, add mashed potatoes, Parmesan cheese, egg, green onions, flour, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mix well until smooth.

2. Shape. Use your hands to shape the mashed potato mixture into balls or you can use an ice cream scoop for even pieces. Add dredging flour into a shallow plate and coat each mashed potato balls in flour. Use your hands to gently flatten them into patties. Set aside on a parchment-lined baking pan or plate.
3. Cook. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat until the oil sizzles, about 2 minutes. Add patties in batches (about 5-6 per batch) and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side until golden brown. Add 2 tablespoons of oil in the beginning of each batch.

3. Serve. Let cool for 5 minutes and serve with sour cream and chives, if desired.

More Mashed Potato Recipes

• 40 Best Potato Recipes
• Mashed Potato Soup
• Skillet Shepherd's Pie
• Baked Mashed Potato Spring Rolls
• Creamy Ham and Potato Soup
• Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Recipe

Mashed Potato Cakes

---

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

• Author: Sam Hu | Ahead of Thyme
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 13-15 (4-inch) potato cakes
• Diet: Vegetarian

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Description

Mashed potato cakes are light and fluffy inside, crispy golden outside, and so delicious and flavorful. The best way to use up leftover mashed potatoes!

---

Ingredients

• 3 cups mashed potatoes
• ½ cup Parmesan cheese (or cheddar cheese), freshly grated
• 1 large egg
• ¼ cup green onion (or chives), diced
• ½ cup all-purpose flour (or breadcrumbs)
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper (or to taste)

For cooking:

• ¼ cup all-purpose flour (for dredging)
• vegetable oil (for cooking)

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

---

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, add mashed potatoes, Parmesan cheese, egg, green onions, flour, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mix well until smooth.
2. Use your hands to shape the mashed potato mixture into balls or you can use an ice cream scoop for even pieces. 
3. Add dredging flour into a shallow plate and coat each mashed potato balls in flour. Use your hands to gently flatten them into patties. Set aside on a parchment-lined baking pan or plate.
4. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat until the oil sizzles, about 2 minutes. Add patties in batches (about 5-6 per batch) and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side until golden brown. Add 2 tablespoons of oil in the beginning of each batch.
5. Let cool for 5 minutes and serve with sour cream and chives, if desired.

Notes

How to store: Allow the mashed potato cakes to cool to room temperature before storing. It is important that you don't skip this step, otherwise, you will end up with soggy potato cakes the next day. Once cooled, place in an airtight container lined with fresh, dry paper towels and store in the refrigerator. These mashed potato cakes will last in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.

How to freeze: Mashed potato cakes taste best fresh or within a few days. Freezing them is possible, but they sometimes become grainy. Once cooled, you can freeze them in a single layer on a baking sheet until frozen, about 1 hour. Then transfer them into a freezer bag or airtight container, and freeze for up to 3 months.

How to reheat: You can reheat these mashed potato cakes on a pan over the stovetop on medium-low heat until warmed through. You can also reheat them in a 350 F preheated oven for 10-15 minutes or air fryer for 5-10 minutes.

• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Category: Side Dish
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: American

218 Shares

Pin215

Yum3

Share

Tweet

More