These scrumptious potato cakes are golden-brown and crispy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside. Made with mashed potatoes formed into patties, then pressed into grated potatoes for a hash brown-like texture, this recipe is perfect for your leftover mashed potatoes and a hearty breakfast!
Have leftover mashed potatoes? Make potato cakes!
While on a trip to central California, my husband and I stopped for breakfast at a quaint little restaurant. We needed some strong, hot coffee and good food for our bleary-eyed and hungry bodies.
I ended up ordering some amazing French toast. And because I was also craving something savory, I ordered their hash brown potato cakes, out of both hunger and curiosity.
While I was expecting something crispy and flat, as hash browns usually are, when I sank my fork into the golden potato cakes, they were almost fluffy in the middle, providing a scrumptious texture. They were a savory combo of both mashed potatoes (on the inside) and grated hash brown-style potatoes (on the outside), seared off on the hot griddle until golden and crisp on the outside—totally unique and delicious!
As soon as I tasted them, I knew I had to play around in my own kitchen to come up with a potato cake recipe of my own.
And now, they have become a savory treat that we can enjoy whenever we long for a taste of our special little trip. Or, when I have some leftover mashed potatoes that I'd like to use up in a really mouthwatering way!
My recipe for potato cakes
These unique potato cakes are basically a combination of mashed potatoes and grated fresh potatoes, plus a bit of seasoning for extra flavor.
Part of why I love this recipe so much is that it's a great way to use up leftover mashed potatoes. All that's needed is about 2 ¼ cups worth, turning them into a whole other meal, perfect for the next day's breakfast.
But in case you don't have leftover mashed potatoes and would like to prepare some fresh, I'm including a small batch of mashed potatoes in the recipe below to make things easy.
The mashed potatoes act as a binder because they are thick and creamy. You shape them into patties or "cakes" and gently press them into seasoned, freshly-grated potatoes. Then, they're just seared in a hot skillet until golden-brown. You end up with some tasty potato cakes with a crispy texture on the outside and a melt-in-your-mouth interior.
Here's a sneak peek at my potato cakes recipe:
(or just jump to the full recipe...)
- To get started, if I need to prep some mashed potatoes for this recipe, I begin by doing that. Otherwise, I proceed with the recipe using leftover mashed potatoes.
- Next, I make 8 small mounds of mashed potatoes. I then lightly form them into small, circular cakes or patties in my hands, and set them aside on a platter for a moment.
- I grate a couple of russet potatoes, then rinse them well in cold water and squeeze them dry very well. I then season them and set them into a large, shallow bowl.
- Next, I take each mashed potato cake and press it into the seasoned and grated potatoes, coating the outside of both the top and bottom of each potato cake. I then set them onto a platter to hold.
- I now heat my cast iron skillet, adding some oil or ghee (clarified butter).
- Working in a couple of batches, I cook my potato cakes for a few minutes on each side until golden-brown and crispy on the outside.
- I serve immediately or keep the potato cakes warm on the "warm" setting of my oven until ready. I enjoy with ketchup for dipping, if desired.
Recipe
Potato Cakes
by Ingrid Beer
These savory potato cakes have a fluffy mashed potato interior and a crispy hash brown exterior, perfect as a breakfast accompaniment!
Category: Side
Cuisine: American
Yield: 8 potato cakes
Nutrition Info: 256 calories (per 2 potato cakes)
Prep Time: 15 minutes (if using leftover mashed potatoes)
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 ¼ cups leftover mashed potatoes (see below for a small-batch recipe of mashed potatoes, if needed)
- 1 medium-large russet potato (about 12 ounces), peeled and grated on a box grater
- Small pinch salt
- ¼ teaspoon granulated garlic
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- Pinch black pepper
- Ghee, avocado oil, or your preferred choice of oil, for frying
Small-batch mashed potatoes ingredients (if you don't have leftovers):
- 1 ½ pounds russet potatoes (about 2 medium-large potatoes), peeled and cubed
- Salt
- 1 ½ tablespoons room temperature unsalted butter
- Begin by gathering and prepping your small-batch mashed potato ingredients (if needed), according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use. Otherwise, skip to step 5.
- To make the mashed potatoes, add the cubed russet potatoes to a small-medium pot and cover with cold water. Add enough salt so it tastes like the ocean, and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to medium or medium-low, and allow the potatoes to simmer for about 20 minutes, or until tender. Drain them thoroughly.
- Pass them through a potato ricer, or use a masher to mash them as smoothly as possible. Fold in the butter, and allow the mashed potatoes to cool to room temperature before proceeding with the recipe.
- If using leftover mashed potatoes, gather and prep all of your ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
- Using a ¼ cup measuring cup, portion out 8 generous little mounds of mashed potatoes, and shape those mounds into cakes or patties by gently pressing them between your palms. Set aside.
- Add your grated russet potato to a fine mesh strainer, and rinse thoroughly with cold water until the water runs clear, then squeeze as much water from the grated potatoes as you can by hand. Then, add the squeezed grated potatoes to a clean kitchen towel, and squeeze any remaining water out of them so that they are as dry as possible, then gently toss to loosen.
- Next, add the grated potatoes to a large, shallow bowl and sprinkle in the small pinch of salt, the granulated garlic, the paprika, and the pinch of black pepper, and toss to combine.
- Place your cast-iron skillet (or other heavy-bottom pan) over medium-high heat, and add in about 3 tablespoons of ghee, avocado oil, or an oil of your liking, and allow the oil to get very hot.
- While the oil is heating, take each little mashed potato cake and gently press it into the seasoned, grated potato mixture, gently turning to coat both sides in grated potatoes. (Take care not to flatten the cakes.) Repeat with all potato cakes.
- Once coated, work in batches to fry the potato cakes in the hot skillet for about 5 to 6 minutes per side, or until golden-brown, gently pressing down on them in the pan (they can be a bit delicate, so take care when flipping them over). Repeat with remaining cakes.
- Serve immediately fresh out of the skillet, or keep warm on a wire rack-lined baking sheet in a warm oven until ready to serve. Serve with ketchup, if desired.
Tips & tidbits for my potato cakes recipe:
- Use your leftover mashed potatoes, or make a small batch for this recipe: To make eight of these hash brown potato cakes, you'll need about 2 ¼ cups of leftover mashed potatoes. And if you need to make some mashed potatoes for this recipe, please see the ingredients just below the potato cakes ingredients for that, and proceed with the recipe instructions.
- Russet potatoes for that bit of extra starch: I like to use russets for this recipe because they contain more starch even after they're rinsed, which eliminates the need for any additional binders.
- Rinse the fresh, grated potatoes to remove excess starch: Too much starch on potatoes can make for gummy rather than crisp hash browns. So when you grate the fresh russet, place it in a fine mesh strainer and rinse under cold water to remove the excess starch. Then, squeeze the water out of it very well by using a kitchen towel.
- Prep these potato cakes ahead of time: You can prepare the potato cakes the day before you plan on serving them and keep them on a plate or platter covered with plastic wrap in the fridge. Then, take them out of the fridge about an hour before frying them to bring them to room temperature.
- Cast-iron or heavy bottom pan for crispiness: Use a heavy bottom pan or your cast-iron skillet for this recipe—they both get nice and hot, creating that crisp exterior.
- Ghee or avocado oil: Ghee is a type of clarified butter typically used in Indian cuisine. It can be found in most markets today either in a jar on the shelf next to the other oils, or in the refrigerated section, depending upon your market. The flavor is amazing for searing up these hash brown potato cakes. You can also use avocado oil, or your preferred choice of oil instead.
- Keep the potato cakes warm: You can prepare these potato cakes and keep them nice and warm until ready to serve by holding them in a warm 200 to 220° oven.
Craving more delicious and cozy potato recipes? Check out my Roasted Potatoes Recipe, my recipe for Breakfast Potatoes, Stilton Roasted Potatoes, Twice Baked Potatoes, Stuffed Baked Potatoes, Cheesy Potatoes, Stuffed Potatoes with Chicken and Broccoli Sauce, or even my recipe for Smashed Potatoes with Crispy Parmesan Crust!
Cook's Note: This recipe was originally published in 2018, and has been updated with even more love!
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