Save this Recipe!
Enter your email & I’ll send it straight to your inbox.
Easy Mashed Potato Cakes
These golden mashed potato cakes are crispy on the outside, cheesy and creamy inside, and made with just a handful of ingredients. They’re the perfect way to reinvent leftovers—great with sour cream, a cranberry dipping sauce, or topped with fried eggs for brunch. This recipe is flexible, quick, and pan-fried to perfection in under 30 minutes.
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 126kcal
Ingredients
- 3 cups cold leftover mashed potatoes
- ¾ cup shredded cheese any cheese such as cheddar, Gruyère, mozzarella, or Parmesan — use what you have
- 3 scallions or leftover roasted onions finely chopped (optional but recommended)
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Cranberry sauce:
- ½ cup crème fraîche sour cream and Greek yogurt are good substitutes if you don’t have it
- 2-3 tbsp leftover cranberry sauce homemade or canned
- ½ tsp orange zest
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine mashed potatoes, cheese, and scallions/onions if using. Stir in the egg. Fold in the flour; if the mixture feels too loose, add 1 tbsp of flour until the mixture holds together. eason with salt and pepper.
- Shape the mashed potato mixture into 10-12 patties about ¾-inch thick. I like to use a heaping 1 tbsp cookie scooper for this.
- Heat the butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sear the potato cakes for 4-5 minutes per side, until deeply golden and crisp.
- Blot the potato cakes gently with paper towels. Serve hot with sour cream, crème fraîche, or even a cranberry-yogurt dip if you’ve got holiday leftovers.
- For the sauce, combine the crème fraîche, cranberry sauce, orange zest, and salt in a small bowl.
Notes
- Leftover protein: Stir in finely diced leftover ham, turkey, or cooked bacon.
- Crispier crust: Press the cakes into panko or breadcrumbs before pan-frying.
- Fresh herbs: If you have them, fold in 1–2 tbsp of chopped fresh parsley, chives, rosemary, sage, or thyme. Each brings its own holiday twist.
- Cheeses I recommend: Sharp cheddar, Gruyère, mozzarella, or Parmesan. You can even mix and match!
- Leftover veggies: Finely chopped Brussels sprouts, green beans, or roasted carrots can be folded in for extra flavor and texture.
- If you’re working in batches, make sure you wipe the excess oil out of the pan before starting a new batch so it doesn’t burn.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 126kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 105mg | Potassium: 285mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 189IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 1mg
