Whenever I go to the trouble of preparing mashed potatoes, I make extra, hoping for leftovers to turn into potato cakes. These fluffy pancakes are the perfect side to any protein on the dinner menu. The men in my family adore them; I have seen both my sons eat them bare handed, like cookies. They always conjure up warm memories of my late mother-in-law, whose favorite food preparation method was frying something in butter. I guess butter makes everything better. If you want my recipe for mashed potatoes, it can be found on this blog under Recipes, and then under the header, Main Dishes. I used four cups of leftover potatoes for this recipe; obviously, if you only have several cups, just halve the other ingredients, too.
Potato Cakes
4 cups leftover mashed potatoes (let set out one hour to come to room temperature)
1 large egg, beaten
2 heaping Tbsp. flour
butter for frying
Using a fork, beat the egg in a large bowl. Add the mashed potatoes; sprinkle the flour on. Stir everything gently together with the fork, drawing from the bottom of the pan, up, rather than smashing the mixture.
Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add a tablespoon of butter, spreading it out over all the surface as it melts. Drop the potato mixture onto the hot skillet, by heaping tablespoons, spreading each out slightly with your fingers. Fry for 7-10 minutes, until that first side is golden brown. Carefully flip the potato cakes over; send another pat of butter up and down the aisles between the cakes. Fry the second side until golden brown, at least 5 minutes. Sprinkle with a generous amount of coarse salt and freshly ground pepper. Serve immediately. Makes 12-15 cakes.
When life gives you extra mashed potatoes, turn them into potato cakes.