Crispy and creamy, these Cheesy Leftover Mashed Potato Pancakes are the most delicious way to use up those extra mashed potatoes! Just perfect after the holidays or any time you find yourself with leftover mashed potatoes, ready to eat in under 20 minutes.
Perfect after Thanksgiving or Christmas or anytime you have mashed potatoes on hand, they make a delicious side dish or even a great main course. These fantastic potato pancakes are dairy free and are super easy to make gluten-free or even paleo.
If you’re always trying to figure out what to make with those leftover mashed potatoes-this is the recipe!
After the holidays, I found myself with quite a bit of mashed potatoes. These potato pancakes from leftover mashed potatoes are just truly delicious! Usually I make the matafan-fluffy mashed potato pancakes (from Dorie Greenspan). The matafan are fantastic, but a little fussy compared to this potato pancake.
These come together with a few simple steps and taste like fluffy latkes! I was seriously considering calling them “fluffy latkes”, because that is what they tasted like. It may seem that you could make a potato cake by just adding an egg.
It won’t work with just an egg. The trick is to add some flour to bind it all together, and a little bit of cheese and onion to jazz up the flavor (GF flour and dairy-free cheese are great subs!).
Once you get the mixture together, lightly coat it with flour, which helps to get that amazing crispy exterior. It all fries up for a few minutes per side, and soon you’ll have gorgeous golden brown exterior and a dreamy and creamy interior!
Mom made the quick aioli side sauce to go with them, and it was a team effort to create this tasty recipe made with leftovers! I just love cooking with my mom (who is a former chef). She just whips up whatever you request. She does most of it without even following a recipe!
You may remember my instant pot mashed potatoes. I happened to have some leftovers and decided to create the pancakes using dairy-free cheese I had on hand. If you are dairy-free, you have to try it using either the mozzarella or cheddar (I did try both). The result is totally creamy and delicious potato pancakes.
What to do with leftover mashed potatoes?
There are different ways to use up leftover mashed potatoes:
These tasty savory pancakes are a perfect way to use up your leftover mashed potatoes after your holiday feast (or from any normal weeknight dinner).
Super simple: the potatoes are already seasoned and ready to use up! I almost always make these leftover pancakes and sometimes I make a shepherd’s pie (sometimes vegan sometimes not).
Why these mashed potato pancakes are so good!
- They are really easy to make and come together pretty quickly with ingredients you have on hand.
- These savory pancakes are a great way of using up your mashed potatoes from any of the holiday dinners (I always have an extra portion of mashed potatoes on hand after Thanksgiving).
- The potato pancakes are made dairy-free
- They can be made gluten-free (or even Paleo).
- They work really well with my Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes.
How do you serve these savory pancakes?
These potato pancakes are perfect to serve for lunch, dinner or a nice Sunday brunch. If serving for brunch, poaches eggs make a nice side. A really side dish with a any chicken or meat dinner. Or even with your favorite salad!
What ingredients are in potato pancakes from mashed potatoes?
- mashed potatoes (make sure they’re chilled and not just made and hot)
- egg
- all-purpose flour (you could sub it for gluten-free 1:1 flour)
shredded cheese* ( I used vegan cheese, but shredded mozzarella is fine or cheddar, or a combo of whatever cheese you like. OR leave out the cheese) - onion (I used red onion, but use sweet onion, scallion or even shallots)
- 4-6 Tablespoons oil, any mild flavored oil is fine
How to make these cheesy leftover mashed potato pancakes
In a large bowl, add all of the ingredients.
Stir them all together to combine.
If you’re making the sauce, now is the time to make it. If not, go on to cooking them up.
Use an ice cream scoop or spoon, scoop out the mixture into 6 portions. Roll each portion into a ball and form it into patties or cakes which are about 1/2- inches in thickness. Coat each cake evenly in a thin coating flour and set aside.
Place remaining flour in a shallow dish and dredge each pancake lightly in flour.
Heat the oil in a large skillet (cast iron is great for this recipe if you have one) on medium heat. Make sure you use enough oil to coat the entire bottom of the pan.
Add the potato pancakes into the hot oil, three at a time, don't overcrowd the pan. Gently flatten with the back of a rubber spatula.
Cook the patties until bottom is browned and sides are set.
Carefully flip the patties and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, until browned and cooked through.
When you flip, be sure that the entire spatula is under the pancake. If you use just the front of the spatula you’ll end up breaking the pancake as you flip it. You have to fully support the entire perimeter of the pancake to make a nice flip.
Repeat with the rest of the patties .
Serve immediately with the aioli sauce or sour cream (use your favorite dairy-free if you’re dairy-free).
Toppings for potato pancakes
There are a variety of topping ideas:
- aioli sauce (you could make the quick one I share below)
- sour cream
- diced onions
- bacon
- shredded cheese
- salsa
- fresh herbs
- caramelized onions.
Make easy leftover potato pancakes ahead
In order to enjoy the nice and crispy exterior, the potato pancakes are truly They are still really good if you make them ahead of time and then reheat in the oven (you won’t have that really crispy exterior).
Store the cooked pancakes fridge in an airtight container for up to a few days, place them on a baking sheet, and reheat at 350F for around 8-10 minutes.
How do you serve these savory pancakes?
These potato pancakes are perfect to serve for lunch, dinner or a nice Sunday brunch. If serving for brunch, poaches eggs make a nice side. A really side dish with a any chicken or meat dinner. Or even with your favorite salad!
How long are mashed potatoes pancakes (latkes) good for?
Once they have cooled down, store them in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Reheat them in the oven. Once you have made the pancakes, you store them in the fridge for two to three days and reheat them in the oven.
Top tips to make this leftover mashed potato pancake recipe
- To make these pancakes gluten-free, substitute the flour for gluten-free 1:1.
- To make these pancakes paleo, use cassava flour 1:1.
- Start with one egg. If you find the mixture too dry and feel it could use another, go ahead and it in (I used just one egg).
- IF it seems to wet, add a little more flour just a little bit at a time (taking care not to make the batter to dry).
FAQ'S
The trick to getting them to stick together is adding enough egg to bind the potatoes together. If your pancakes are still falling apart after adding an egg or two; try adding some breadcrumbs or Parmesan cheese to act as a binder. If you don’t have breadcrumbs on hand, crackers or oats can also work. You could even try adding some finely chopped onion and garlic for an extra flavor boost!
What is the difference between latkes and potato pancakes?
Latkes are a traditional Jewish dish made from grated potatoes and usually served with sour cream or applesauce. Potato pancakes, on the other hand, are typically made from mashed potatoes and often fried in butter or oil. Both are delicious but have slightly different textures. Latkes tend to be more crispy while potato pancakes can be fluffy.
If your potato pancakes are coming out mushy, it’s likely because you didn’t squeeze out enough moisture from the mashed potatoes. Be sure to use a clean kitchen towel to really press down and get as much of that excess water out as possible.
Potato pancakes are popular all around the world, but they’re most often associated with traditional German and Austrian cuisine. In Germany and Austria, potato pancakes are usually served as a savoury snack or appetizer, usually topped with apple sauce or sour cream.
If you are looking for more recipes to make the most out of your leftovers:
- Turkey Pot Pie is delicious!
- Leftover Cranberry Sauce Cake is a winner!
- Baked Brie in Puff Pastry is an amazing appetizer (so easy to make with leftover cranberry sauce)
Did you make this? Please RATE THE RECIPE below:)
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Cheesy Leftover Mashed Potato Pancakes
Ingredients
- PANCAKES
- 2 cups mashed potatoes cold
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup flour* plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour divided
- ½ shredded cheese* I used vegan cheese, but shredded mozzarella is fine or cheddar
- ½ cup onion chopped (I used red onion)
- 4-6 Tablespoons oil any mild flavored oil is fine
- AIOLI SAUCE
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest from 1 large lemon
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped chive or onion
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
Instructions
- POTATO PANCAKES
- In a large bowl, add all of the ingredients.
- Stir them all together to combine. Set aside and prep the sauce (if you’re using this sauce, if you’re not, go ahead and skip over to frying them in pan).
- AIOLI SAUCE
- In a medium bowl, add the sauce ingredients. Stir them all together and combine well. Taste and season with salt and pepper, as needed.Set out a medium bowl. Measure all the ingredients into the bowl.
- Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Refrigerate for up to 1 week.
- In a large bowl, mix all of the ingredients together until well combined.
- The mixture should be thick and should hold its shape. If it’s not thick enough, add a tablespoon of flour at a time (depending on the consistency of your mashed potatoes)
- COOK POTATO PANCAKES
- Use an ice cream scoop or spoon, scoop out the mixture into 6 portions. Roll each portion into a ball and form it into patties or cakes which are about 1/2- inch in thickness.
- Place remaining flour in a shallow dish and dredge each pancake lightly in flour; set aside.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet (cast iron is great for this recipe if you have one) on medium heat. Make sure you use enough oil to coat the entire bottom of the pan (start with 4 tablespoons and if not enough, add a bit more).
- Add the potato pancakes into the hot oil, three at a time, don't overcrowd the pan. Gently flatten with the back of a rubber spatula.
- Cook the patties until bottom is browned and sides are set.
- Carefully flip the pancakes and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, until browned and cooked through.
- When you flip, be sure that the entire spatula is under the pancake. If you use just the front of the spatula you’ll end up breaking the pancake as you flip it. You have to fully support the entire underside of the pancake to make a nice flip.
- Repeat with the rest of the patties .
- Serve immediately with the aioli sauce or sour cream (use your favorite dairy-free if you’re dairy-free).
- These potato pancakes are best served hot. But they’re also still delicious warm.
Notes
- Keep in mind that the leftover mashed potatoes will vary in consistency. It all depends on how you made your mashed potatoes (how much milk or butter was added)
- If after combining the mashed potato pancake mixture it seems a bit dry and has difficulty coming together, add one more egg. If the mixture seems too wet, add a small bit of flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you get a nice and cohesive mixture.
Paleo: To make these potato pancakes paleo, use cassava flour 1:1. Cheese: I used vegan mozzarella shreds to make it dairy-free. Go ahead and use your favorite with dairy mozzarella shreds or even cheddar.
Onion: I used red onion, but go ahead and use scallions, sweet onion or even chives.
Cook: Cook them up a few at time. You want to make sure you don’t overcrowd them in your pan (if it’s a large pan, you could probably fit them all at once). Aioli sauce:
If you have anchovy filets on hand, chop up a couple to add to the sauce. If you do add anchovy, you will not need any salt in the sauce.
Refrigerate for up to 1 week. Make them in advance: Pancakes could be formed into shape one day ahead and stored in the fridge. Remove from fridge 10 minutes before frying. Reheat on a baking sheet at 350F for 8-10 minutes
Freezing: Potato pancakes could be stored in a single layer in a zipped lock freezer bag or an airtight storage container. Keeps in freezer for up to 2 months.
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