Loaded Mashed Potato Cakes

Transform your leftover mashed potatoes into yummy loaded mashed potato cakes!

Mix leftover spuds with crispy bacon bits, green onions, and lots of cheddar cheese, and then panfry them until golden brown and crisp.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream & chives, a squeeze of ketchup, or top them with leftover turkey and gravy.

We Love These Mashed Potato Cakes (and so will you!)

Transform leftover mashed potatoes into fried potato patties with a few extra ingredients and seasonings.
Mashed potato cakes are budget friendly, and kids love ’em.
Mix and match the cheese and other add-ins to create new flavors and use up your leftovers.
Fry them up in bacon grease and top with a runny fried egg for a great breakfast (or use them as a base for eggs benedict).
These potato cakes can be served alone as a light dinner or as a side dish to meat or chicken.

ingredients for loaded mashed potato cakes

Ingredients for Mashed Potato Cakes

Mashed Potatoes – Use leftover mashed potatoes if you have some or use instant mashed potatoes (or pre-made) if you don’t have any. Even cauliflower mashed potatoes can be used for a low-carb recipe.

Cheese – Experiment with different types of cheese, such as cheddar, parmesan cheese, Mexican blend, or pizza mozzarella.

Bacon – Bacon and mashed potatoes go hand in hand. Bacon can be oven baked or use real bacon bits.

Leftovers – As a variation, you can add leftovers like chopped chicken or turkey, leftover roasted veggies, etc.

Seasonings – Green onions are a favorite, add in other fresh herbs if you have them.

How to Make Mashed Potato Cakes

Fry bacon until crispy. Cook onion and garlic in the bacon grease (per recipe below).
Add the remaining ingredients and form into potato cakes.
Pan fry in bacon fat or butter until golden brown on both sides.

Serve hot with extra green onions, sour cream, or ketchup.

Loaded Mashed Potato Cakes with sour cream and green onions with a bite out of them

Leftovers & Reheating

Keep leftover mashed potato pancakes in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Reheat them in the microwave, oven, or air fryer until heated through.
Mashed potato cakes made in batches can be chilled and frozen for up to 6 weeks in zippered bags. Simply crisp them up on the stovetop or in the air fryer!

More Leftover Mashed Potato Recipes

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Loaded Mashed Potato Cakes

These loaded mashed potato cakes make an amazing side dish or light dinner or lunch! They are the perfect way to enjoy leftover potatoes and the flavor combinations are endless!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

In a large skillet, fry the bacon over medium heat until crispy. Drain on paper towels and, once cooled, crumble.
Reserve 2 tablespoons of bacon in the frying pan. Cook the onion and garlic over medium heat until translucent. (If using green onion, no need to precook).
In a medium bowl, combine crumbled bacon, mashed potatoes, cooked onion, shredded cheese, basil, parsley, salt & pepper. Mix well and add flour a bit at a time until the potato cakes hold together. You may not need all of the flour.
Melt 1 tablespoon of butter (or leftover bacon fat) in a clean skillet over medium heat.
Scoop about ¼ of a cup of the potato mixture and form it into a ball. Place it in the hot pan and flatten it with a spatula until it’s about ½ – ¾″ thick. Repeat with remaining potato cakes (cooking in batches if needed).
Fry for about 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until the potato patties are golden brown and crisp.
For best results, serve immediately, while hot and crispy.
Top with green onions, sour cream or ketchup.

Flour – Depending on the consistency of your potatoes, you may need a little bit less flour (or a little bit more). You want the cakes to stick together (and not be too sticky).
Air Fryer – Potato cakes can be cooked in an air fryer. Form into patties and brush with melted butter. Cook at 400°F for about 12 minutes, turning after 6 minutes.
*Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Leftover cakes will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. They can also be frozen and will keep for 6 weeks in the freezer.

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

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