Mashed potato pancakes

Photo: Sugar Spun Run

Cold mash, cheddar, an egg, a little flour. Sam's rule: dust them well with flour and get the oil shimmering, and they come out crisp outside and creamy in the middle. Sour cream and chives.

From Sam Merritt at Sugar Spun Run · @sugarspun_sam

Cold leftover mashed potatoes mixed with cheddar, egg and a little flour, shaped into cakes and fried golden in a hot pan.

You need

• 2 cups cold leftover mashed potatoes
• 3/4 cup shredded cheddar
• 1 large egg
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp oil (avocado or vegetable)
• Sour cream and chives or scallions, to serve

How to make it

1. Stir the mashed potatoes, cheddar, egg, 2 tbsp flour, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper and salt together in a large bowl.
2. Dust a baking sheet with flour. Drop 1/4-cup scoops onto it, dust the tops well with more flour, and press each into a cake about 3/4 inch thick. They should be firm enough to pick up; if your mash was loose, work in a little more flour.
3. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. The oil should coat the whole bottom of the pan.
4. Fry the pancakes in batches, 2 inches apart, until deep golden underneath, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and cook the other side until golden and hot through.
5. Drain on a rack or paper towels and serve warm with sour cream and chives.

Written in our own words from Sam Merritt's recipe, with their quantities. The original: Mashed potato pancakes, Sugar Spun Run.

More from the list