Potato Pancakes with Leftover Mashed Potatoes {7 Ingredients, GF}

Name: Potato Pancakes with Leftover Mashed Potatoes
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 525 g leftover mashed potatoes; 2 spring onions (scallions, minced); 3 tbsp cornflour; 1 tsp dried mixed herbs; 1 large egg; salt to taste; olive oil for frying

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Potato Pancakes with Leftover Mashed Potatoes is the perfect dish to make when your fridge is full of leftover mashed potatoes, or when you want to make a fun twist on standard mashed potatoes.

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6 Potato Pancakes with Leftover Mashed Potatoes in a stack

Raise your hand if you simultaneously love and loathe leftovers.

Leftovers are sometimes the last thing you want to think about after eating a big meal. Loathe.

Leftovers have to be eaten or stored quickly. Loathe.

Leftovers can take up valuable space in the fridge. Loathe.

But… leftovers are extra food that you don’t have to prepare again. Love.

Leftovers sometimes taste even better the next day. Love.

Leftovers allow you to transform an old dish into something new. Love.

8 Potato Pancakes with Leftover Mashed Potatoes on a white paper with spring onions, cress and a dip with a hand holding them

This recipe is one that will move you into the ‘love leftovers’ camp. Potato Pancakes which is the perfect way to use leftover mashed potatoes that are staring you in the face every time you open up the fridge. It’s not just a recipe – it’s a problem solver.

And really, this potato pancake recipe is so good you don’t have to use leftover mashed potatoes. It doesn’t have to just be a ‘leftovers recipe’ – it can stand on its own as a side dish (especially for the holidays like Easter and Christmas) that you planned to make ahead of time, not just in a ‘oh no what do I do with all of these mashed potatoes’ moment of panic in the kitchen.

7 Potato Pancakes with Leftover Mashed Potatoes on a grey background, spring onions, cress and a dip and a hand taking one

In fact, I plan to make them for a side dish this Christmas. If you’re reading this with time to spare before Christmas this year, I suggest you do the same – you won’t regret it. Potatoes don’t have to be samey samey every year, and this potato pancake dish makes them fun and exciting for Christmas. I’d like to think that these potato pancakes are an upgrade to traditional mashed potatoes… mashed potatoes 2.0, perhaps.

These potato pancakes really do taste best with mashed potatoes that have aged two or three days, so all you have to do is make the mashed potatoes ahead of time and let them sit in the fridge. Easy peasy.

Ingredient Notes

mashed potatoes – use cold leftover mashed potatoes for the best result
green onions (scallions) – use finely diced green onions for this,
cornstarch – helps thicken the potatoes for easier shaping. If not gluten free you can use plain all purpose flour.
Italian seasoning – This gives added flavor.
egg
salt – add salt to taste.
olive oil for frying or spraying

How To Make Potato Pancakes From Mashed Potatoes

Get the complete ingredients list and instructions from the recipe card below.

Whether you’re using actual leftovers or ‘faux leftovers,’ here’s how to make crispy Potato Pancakes with leftovers. They are sooo easy (especially after all of that hard holiday cooking) you may just cry tears of joy.

Start with the star of the Potato Pancakes with Leftover Mashed Potatoes show: mashed potatoes. (For easy mashed potatoes, use my Instant Pot Mashed Potato recipe.) Add them to a large bowl.
Add all other ingredients, mix until combined. If your mixture is a little loose, then you can add a tbsp. of flour at a time till it can hold its shape when formed into a patty.
Split the mixture into 12 equal portions and form mixture into patties.
Over medium heat, heat olive oil in a pan. Place patties in a single layer with space in between them for turning. Cook for 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown.

Mashed potato for potato pancakes in a bowl

leftover mashed potato pancakes ingredients - mashed potato, egg, flour, spring onion, herbs

5 potato pancakes patties on a plate - recipesfromapantry.com

8 Potato Pancakes with Leftover Mashed Potatoes in a frying pan

Step 5. Remove cooked potato pancakes and keep them in a warm place until you finish frying the remaining pancakes.

Step 6. Serve your potato pancakes with things like chutney, sour cream, or scrambled eggs.

Leftover mashed potatoes perfection.

Air Fryer Potato Pancakes

Get the complete ingredients list and instructions from the recipe card below.

Prefer to make, Air Fryer Potato Pancakes instead. Then here is how to do so

Add leftover potatoes in to a large bowl.
Add all other ingredients to the mashed potatoes and mix until combined. If your mixture is a little loose, then you can add a tbsp of flour at a time till it can hold its shape when formed into a patty.
Split the potato mixture into 12 equal portions and shape them into potato patties.
Preheat Air Fryer and place the potato patties into the Air Fryer Basket.
Air fry for about 10 minutes until golden brown and crispy, flipping half way through.

Now excuse me while I enjoy a potato pancake (or three)…

Recipe Tips

Don’t crowd the basket of the air fryer. You need to leave plenty of space between each patty for the hot air to circulate for maximum crispiness and even cooking.
Thinner patties make crispier cakes.
Spritz some oil on these if you want them to be golden crispy.
If you are interested you can Learn how to Preheat Your Air Fryer. or when Do You Oil A AirFryer.

Air fryer temperatures can vary depending on the make and model. I recommend starting with less cook time, checking for doneness, then adding more time as needed.

Delicious Variations

Make cheesy – add in some shredded cheese.
Add heat – with some cayenne, red pepper flakes or chipotle.
Add colour – with some finely grated veggies, that have been squeezed dry of any excess liqid.

Storage

Store – leftovers can be stored in and air tight container the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freeze – once cooled completely, freeze patties in a single layer on a baking sheet till frozen. Then transfer into a labelled ziplock bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheat – in the air fryer for a couple of minutes.

FAQs

What else to do with Leftover Mashed Potatoes

If you’ve made Potato cakes and are still up to your ears in leftover mashed potatoes, here are a few more ideas for you.

Use leftover mashed potatoes…
As the top layer of a shepherd’s pie
In quiche
In muffins
As a meatloaf topping
In soup
In desserts – yeap, mashed potatoes can be used in foods like cakes and doughnuts.

In short, potatoes don’t have to be boring. Potatoes can be pretty exciting, really, as long as you ‘think outside the (potato) box.’.

8 Potato Pancakes with Leftover Mashed Potatoes on a white paper with spring onions, cress and a dip

More Recipes You Might Like

More Air Fryer Recipes

I have got a lot more delicious Air Fryer Recipes that you’ll like. Like these Air Fryer Tater Tots, and delicious Air Fryer Frozen Hash Browns. Other veggies you’ll also like include Air Fryer Cauliflower, these great as a snack or side Air Fry Zucchini Fries and lovely Air Fryer Beets.

Serving Suggestions

Serve these with some sour cream, smoked salmon,

Here is how to make potato pancakes. Please do try it and if you do make it then please do tag #recipesfromapantry on Instagram or Twitter so that I can pop over and have a look. It is really, really awesome for me when you make any one of my recipes. You can also share it on my Facebook page.

Thank you for reading my potato pancake post. And please come visit again as I continue dreaming up recipes, traditional African recipes, African fusion recipes, Sierra Leone recipes, travel plans and much more for you.

Don’t forget to tag #recipesfromapantry on Instagram or Twitter if you try Potato Pancakes with Leftover Mashed Potatoes! It is really, really awesome for me when you make one of my recipes and I’d love to see it. You can also share it on my Facebook page. Please pin this recipe to Pinterest too! Thank you for reading Recipes from a Pantry.

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4.8 from 5 votes