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5 from 5 vote

Easy Potato Pancakes (With Leftover Mashed Potatoes)

Crispy and creamy, these Easy Potato Pancakes (With Leftover Mashed Potatoes)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.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time8 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: dairy free, leftovers, pancakes, potatoes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 414kcal
Author: Lora

Equipment

  • 1 glass bowl
  • 1 saute pan

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

Potato Pancakes:
  • 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.
Flour: I used all-purpose flour. You could make this gluten-free using your favorite brand of 1-1 gluten-free flour.
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.

Nutrition

Serving: 6g | Calories: 414kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 19g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 263mg | Potassium: 249mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 27IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 0.4mg