Potato Cakes – Leftover potatoes deserve some love too!

The idea for this recipe came to me one night when I was trying to figure out what to make as a side dish for dinner. All we had was a big batch of leftover mashed potatoes, however my kids don’t like mashed potatoes. If I could figure out how to turn mashed potatoes in to French fries, I’d be golden! But that is a somewhat impossible feat. So I went for the next best thing – add cheese.

I mixed in an egg, cheese and a couple other ingredients that I had on hand. I pan fried them in olive oil and they were a hit! I have since tried cooking them in the oven and prefer that method. Although they don’t turn out as crispy (and delicious!) making them in the oven means I can make them all in one batch.

It is almost impossible to ruin this recipe, so I encourage you to add in other ingredients you may have on hand. Chopped Ham or Bacon would be delicious! Here is the basic recipe:

• 4 cups Mashed Potatoes
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup green onions
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese
• 1 clove minced garlic or 1 Tbsp Garlic Powder (optional)
• Salt, if needed – chances are the potatoes are already salted, so it probably doesn’t need it

Add everything to the potatoes and mix:

I used an ice cream scooper to scoop the potatoes on a lined tray. Place in a 375 degree preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until the outside is starting to brown.

It’s that easy! We ate ours with salmon and salad. They would also be delicious with broiled salmon, but these are so good that they can be eaten alone.