Mashed Potato Pancakes

Every other week or so, I make my baked chicken meal. One of my regular leftover items is to make mashed potato pancakes out of … what else … leftover mashed potatoes of course! Although mashed potatoes are good, my family and I have decided that the mashed potato pancakes are far superior, and as a result, they have become part of the main meal rather than a leftover recipe. It’s a little more work for me, but it works out well if I have everything prepped ahead of time, and since the chicken needs time to rest anyway, the timing works out well. Since my potatoes are cooked under a whole chicken, they absorb tons of flavor goodness; therefore, I find 1/4 cup butter is enough for the pancake recipe. And you can hook these up as much or as little as you want. I love lots of minced green bits running through mine. If that’s not your thing, maybe add grated cheese or microplane in onion or garlic … follow your taste bud bliss! Here’s the run-down for the pancakes I made this week:

Ingredients (quantities vary depending on how many potatoes you are working with)

• 4 large-ish potatoes (leftover mashed or just-cooked potatoes)
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 cups minced greens (for this meal, I used garlic chives and kale from the garden)
• 1 egg
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs (I use plain, but seasoned would work)
• salt and pepper

Here are my potatoes still sitting in the roasting pan after removing the baked chicken.

Put 1/4 cup butter in a bowl. Place the hot potatoes in the bowl, using the heat to melt the butter. Allow the potatoes to cool slightly – you will be using your hands to form the pancakes, so I would give them at least 10 minutes or so.

Add the minced greens, egg, salt, and pepper. Using a potato masher, mash everything together. Then add the bread crumbs and combine until everything is evenly distributed. If the mixture feels a little too wet, add some more bread crumbs. Heat a little oil in a large skillet – just enough to lightly coat the bottom. Form the pancakes and cook. I make mine about the size of a golf ball, then flatten them, but any size would work. Cook for a few minutes until brown, then flip.

Here is a plate I put together for RJ – evidently, this meal is teenager-approved!

These are also great on their own. They would be great leftovers to add to a breakfast plate – maybe with eggs and leftover gravy? Yum! The possibilities are endless. However you eat them, remember not to waste your leftovers, and, most importantly, enjoy!