Potato Pancakes

Mashed potatoes are my favorite way to enjoy Red or Yukon Gold potatoes. If you have leftovers, this is a great way to have a second meal from them. This has been a family favorite for years. It’s based on the version my grandma made for us.

Ingredients:

 2 cups leftover mashed potatoes

 ¼ cup flour or self-rising flour

 1-2 eggs, beaten separately

 Chopped green onions (scallions) to taste (1-2 Tbsp.)

 Oil to fry pancakes

Method:

 Mix the potatoes with flour, blending well.

 After beating the eggs, add one beaten egg to the mixture. Sometimes you need more egg to get the right consistency. The resulting ‘batter’ should be fairly thick, and yellowish, but not wet, from the egg. If needed, add the second egg or a portion of it.

 Stir in green onions/scallions.

 Flatten ¼ cup size portions in the hot oil and fry on both sides until golden to medium brown.

 Batter may be made ahead and kept in the refrigerator until ready to fry.

 Recipe may be doubled or tripled.

 Serve with applesauce, sour cream, and sausages.

Notes and Options:

Making potato pancakes is a little bit trial and error. How much of everything depends a lot on what is in the leftover pancakes and their consistency. Be careful not to add too much flour without balancing it with some additional egg. This can make the pancakes taste like raw flour. If they are too thick, the middle doesn’t cook properly.

The green onion should be chopped finely. Add a little or a lot, depending on how much you like the flavor. Generally, 1-2 Tablespoons is enough.

Sometimes the pan must be cleaned between cakes because the little bits start to turn black and ruin the taste of the others.

Frying the cakes can be time consuming. Don’t try to multi-task away from the pan. If I make a large amount of pancakes, I sometimes start earlier and use an uncovered glass baking dish to hold the finished cakes in the oven as they are finished until meal time. The cakes fall apart easily, so don’t stack them too thick. Handle gently!

Another option if you don’t feel like frying them is to spread the batter in a glass baking dish that has been sprayed with pan spray or coated with oil of butter. Bake until they are lightly browned on top. Cut into serving size squares and serve.