Mashed Potato Pancakes

Mashed potato pancakes are a rare side dish in our home. No matter how many potatoes I make, they get eaten and I have no leftovers to make these treats! It’s embarrassing to take my family to my friends’ homes to eat. Last time my son asked the host if the serving bowl placed in front of him, was his portion. It’s the one food they all agree is the best!

Here is a great simple recipe, if you are more fortunate than me, and actually have leftovers to repurpose for another meal!

Ingredients for Potato Pancakes:

• 4 cups leftover mashed potatoes

• 1/2 cup flour

• 1/2 cup milk

• 2 eggs beaten

• 2 T onion

• 2 T green peppers

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Oil of choice (recommended high heat oils are avocado oil, olive oil or coconut oil)

Leigh's note:

I recommend everything organic, and pasture raised organic eggs. You will find that the more you eat organic and stay away from foods with unhealthy and toxic ingredients, the better you will feel. 

Directions for Potato Pancakes:

• Combine all ingredients. They should hold together well, and not be too sticky or dry. If they seem a bit dry, add a bit more milk. Conversely, if they seem too wet and sticky, add a bit more flour.

• Form them into 3 inch patties and fry them in your choice of cooking oil. Brown on one side and flip them and brown on the other side. I bake them in a 16 inch stainless electric skillet because it's huge and I can quickly produce a large quantity!

• Remove them and place them on paper towels to absorb any excess oil.

Serve!

If you have picky eaters, you can leave out the onion and green peppers and they are still good. You can actually add any vegetables that you think will go nicely and top them with whatever sounds good. We like them plain as they are tasty by themselves or as a base for chicken stew.

There are many other options for leftover mashed potatoes though:

• Use them as a topping for Shepherd's Pie
• Use them as a base for any Stews
• Eat them as a side dish to fill ¼ of your plate in keeping with the half plate rule!

Potatoes have gotten a bad rap over the years because of the propensity to overeat them and the added toppings liberally spread on them. Portion Distortion is a problem. I have solved this by serving family style and placing half of the potatoes in a storage container before the meal, so I actually have leftovers to make these goodies. Potatoes can be a healthy diet habit to keep in your meal planning. You just might need to have a special strategy for dealing with them!

Why Potatoes Are Actually Great for You

As Kerry mentioned, potatoes often get an unfair bad rap - usually because of heavy toppings like piles of butter, sour cream, and bacon, rather than the potato itself! On their own, potatoes are a nutrient-packed whole food with several great benefits:

• More potassium than a banana: A medium potato is loaded with potassium, an essential mineral that helps support healthy blood pressure and muscle function.

• Great source of Vitamin C and B6: Potatoes provide a solid boost of immune-supporting Vitamin C along with Vitamin B6, which helps your body turn food into energy.

• Filling fiber (especially if you leave the skins on!): Potatoes contain dietary fiber that helps keep you full and supports healthy digestion.

• Bonus perk of leftover potatoes: When cooked potatoes are cooled in the fridge overnight (just like for these pancakes!), some of their starches turn into resistant starch—a special type of fiber that feeds healthy gut bacteria and leads to a gentler blood sugar response.

(Looking for more ways to use up your Thanksgiving feast? Check out our Cornbread Dressing Recipe or our comforting Leftover Turkey Soup Recipe!)