Leftover Mashed Potato Pancakes

Greeting everyone!

I hope that you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and spent as much time with your loved ones as possible!

I have been extremely absent from my blogging duties since the holiday and that's because they don't put on the Black Friday flyers that while your getting all those clothes at Old Navy 50% off your also getting someone else's cold for FREE. 

By the time I drove back to my house on Saturday night I had reached the first dimension of common cold hell, but after numerous skipped dinners, to many tissues to count, and one NyQuil coma I am feeling much better and can actually sit down and put a sentence or two together.  

I was so excited to post this recipe right after Thanksgiving but c'est la vie!

The sides are definitely my favorite part of the big feast. I could even go without the turkey if it wasn't the cooking vessel for my beloved stuffing. Usually in my house their are always leftover mashed potatoes and I always have to rescue them from going into the trash because no one wants to save them. The problem with left over mashed potatoes is that they never taste the same as when you first made them and they usually get dry and crumbly. 

This recipe is a great way to bring new life to those leftover spuds with the added benefit of getting a head start on breakfast the next morning. 

Ingredients: 

3 cups of cold mashed potatoes

1 egg, beaten 

3 Tablespoons plus 1/2 cup of all purpose flour

2/3 cup of shredded cheddar cheese 

2 Tablespoons of chopped green onion 

Vegetable oil 

Now let me first say that I apologize for the lack of pictures but if you knew what my entire family is like inside my moms small kitchen, you would understand how there is no safe place for a camera. 

*It is important that your mashed potatoes are nice and cold for this to work or else you are going to get really frustrated when they are doing nothing but sticking to your hands. 

*Also everyone makes potatoes with different moisture levels so the amount of egg and flour you add will vary.

First, shred 2/3 of a cup of cheese.

Chop 2 tablespoons of green onion.

Beat one egg in a small bowl.  

In a large bowl add the potatoes, cheese, and onion.

Gradually add the egg and flour to the mixture until you get a consistency that you are happy with. 

It should be wet enough to stick together but still be able to keep a shape and not stick to your hands. 

Make 12 equally sized balls of potato and then use your hands to flatten them into patties about 1/2 inch thick. 

Pour about 1/2 cup of flour into a shallow dish and dredge each of potato patties until they are covered in flour. 

In a pan, add 3 to 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil and bring to medium heat. 

Once the oil is hot, add the patties one at a time. Cook the patties in small batches so that you don't overcrowd the pan.

* To keep the patties easy to work with, keep the them cold in the fridge in between frying batches. 

Use a small spatula to flip up and edge to check how brown they are, and flip if they are ready. Make sure that you don't flip the patties too soon or else they won't get brown and crispy

Once both sides are brown, remove from the pan and place on a plate covered in paper towels, to absorb the oil. 

While they are still hot, sprinkle with salt. 

Done!  

They should be crispy on the outside and soft and cheesy on the inside....let the drooling begin!