Actually had some mashed potatoes left over from dinner the night before, a rare occurrence, and with 2 leeks and some Gruyere cheese needing some companionship, well, cheesy mashed potatoes cakes seemed to be the perfect solution. I’ve only made these once before, maybe 10 or 15 years ago, and I was not impressed. They were quite plain, just mashed potatoes, and ended up a greasy, gloppy mess. This time the result was quite different. Lewis even liked them, however, he did mention that he preferred his much-loved potato pancakes of the latke persuasion.
Now for those of you that are sincerely conscious of your caloric intake please stop here. I do have a defending position though after watching Ina Garten make mashed potatoes. In fact I can’t get over it! To her potatoes for six diners she added 1 stick of butter, 1 1/2 cups of heavy cream, and 1 cup of sour cream. That’s 3 cups of fat to 8 cups of potatoes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ina, Ina, Ina.
The potatoes above just got a splash of milk and a reasonable amount of butter. Usually I add a bit more milk, so they came out a little dry and that gave me the confidence to try making these cakes again with some savory additions.
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 leeks, white and yellow parts only, finely sliced
- 3 cups mashed potatoes
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour, if needed
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
- 4 tablespoons finely chopped chives, divided
- Rice flour (for added crunch) or all-purpose flour for dredging
- 2 to 3 tablespoons canola or olive oil
- Sour cream to serve
- Heat the butter in a skillet. Add the leeks and saute until softened and translucent.
- Place the cooked leeks, mashed potatoes, flour (if potatoes are not on the dry side, salt, pepper, egg, cheese, and 2 tablespoons chives in a large mixing bowl. Stir until completely combined.
- Form the potatoes into 10 to 12 patties ½-inch thick. Dredge in rice flour.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place a few of the patties in the skillet, making sure they are not touching. Cook until golden brown. Turn and cook the other side. Remove when done and cook the remaining patties.
- Serve hot , garnished with sour cream and chives.
These were so delicious with scrambled eggs. Not something you would make on a regular basis, even if you are not counting calories, but they sure were a treat. I consider the chives indispensable for this recipe. When there are no more in the garden this winter, well, I guess scallions will have to do.
The possibilities are endless for variations: mushrooms, shallots, cheddar cheese, mozzarella, Parmesan (reduce to 1/3 cup), sweet peppers, hot peppers, onions, parsley, basil, a pinch of rosemary, goat cheese (ick), dill, Fontina, curry powder, sautéed greens such as chard, spinach, or kale (now we’re going Bubble and Squeak)…
What if you used mashed parsnips, rutabaga, celeriac, or winter squash in your mashed potatoes? Now you see why I am writing a cookbook that pulls all of the possibilities together. And why it’s taking me 10 years to write – haha/boohoo.
Let me know what you come up with, although, I will steal any and all of your ideas!
Sheila
