This Potato Pancakes Recipe is the best way to use up leftover mashed potatoes. This cheesy mashed potato pancakes recipe is well loved by everyone in our family. This is just about the only way that my kids will eat mashed potatoes and by “eat,” I mean they wolf them down!
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There’s just something about that beautiful cheese pull with each one that makes these completely irresistible. Potato pancakes are quick and easy to make and have the simplest ingredients.
Sometimes the best recipes are the simplest and YES, it’s totally worth it to make mashed potatoes just to have these potato pancakes! P.S. Don’t miss the sweet little taste test with my son at the end of the video!
Watch How To Make Mashed Potato Pancakes:
All that melty cheese! I want these all over again. Seriously my friends, these are GOOD! I love how forgiving these potato pancakes are. We usually wing it and “eye-ball” the recipe except for when we measured everything just for you!
Ingredients for Potato Pancake Recipe:
4 cups mashed potatoes*
2 cups (8 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
1 large egg
1/4 cup flour (or up to 1/2 cup flour for creamier potatoes)
2 to 3 Tbsp chives, chopped
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
Light Olive oil or Canola oil to sauté
Sour cream to serve
*This recipe works best with mashed potatoes that are not ultra creamy and buttery, and if they are, you may need a little more flour for them to hold a patty shape. This recipe is not intended for use with instant mashed potatoes.
Time Saving Tip: Use a trigger release ice cream scoop, scraping the scoop against the side of the bowl to quickly and easily create uniform patties.
⬇ Print-Friendly Mashed Potato Pancakes Recipe:
Cheesy Potato Pancakes Recipe (VIDEO)
Ingredients
- 4 cups mashed potatoes, *
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, (8 oz)
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, or up to 1/2 cup flour for creamier potatoes
- 2 1/2 Tbsp chives, chopped
- 1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
- 2 Tbsp Light Olive oil , or Canola oil to sauté
- Sour cream to serve
Instructions
How to Make Mashed Potatoes:
- Fill a 5 Qt pot with water. Add 1 Tbsp salt and peeled quartered russet potatoes (2 lbs or about 7 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered). Cook until easily pierced with fork. Drain well and mash in 4 Tbsp butter then let cool to room temp. Mashed potatoes can be made 1 - 3 days ahead.
How to Make Mashed Potato Pancakes:
- In a large mixing bowl, combine 4 cups mashed potatoes, 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, 1 large egg, 1/4 cup flour and 2 Tbsp chopped chives. Use a potato masher to mash the mixture together until well mixed. If the potatoes are too loose to hold a patty shape, add flour a Tablespoon at a time.
- Place a heaping tablespoonful of potato mixture between your palms and form into a round, 1/3" thick patty. Dredge both sides of the pancake in bread crumbs and set on a cutting board. Repeat with remaining pancakes.
- Heat a large non-stick pan over medium heat with enough oil to lightly cover the bottom of the pan. Once oil is hot, add patties in a single layer and sauté 3-4 minutes per side or until golden brown. Repeat with remaining patties, adding more oil as needed. I usually have 2 skillets going at once to finish sooner.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
If you try this mashed potato pancakes recipe, let me know!! Oh p.s. you can also use dill if you don’t have chives.
What does “sour cream to serve ” mean?
These are great as is but they are also very tasty served with a dollop of sour cream over the top 🙂
It means you can serve sour cream with the potato pancakes if you so desire.
How many potatoes? Like recipe.
Hi Dee, for 1 recipe, it is about 2 lbs of potatoes or about 7 medium russet potatoes, peeled and quartered.
Just made these …wow yummy
I’m happy to hear that Maggie! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Cooked the potato pancakes for the first time. They turned out great! Thanks for the inspiration 🙂
My pleasure Robyn! I’m happy you enjoy the recipe! 🙂
I’m a huge potato lover. This looks awesome. Thank you, will definitely give this a go. The simple recipes are always the best!
Thanks for clarifying how many potatoes you used for the 4 cups, I am always bad at guessing that and end up with too much.
My pleasure Jenny! 🙂
Can I bake them instead of frying? I feel weird putting an egg on it and not having them enough time to let the egg cook.
Would it be good at 350 for around, 8-10 minutes?
Thanks
Hi Adriana, 3-4 minutes per side is ample time to cook through the pancakes unless you make them extra thick. I haven’t experimented baking them to be honest. I love how they get crispy when they are sautéed. I imagine it would be similar to baking cheese sticks – spray with cooking spray on both sides and bake in a preheated oven at 400˚F for 5 minutes per side. Now I haven’t tested this theory, it’s just my best guess 🙂
Wow. This is awesome. And so kid friendly! I just happen to have left over potatoes and cheese.
They were so good the next day i made same thing except double..and i added a few other leftovers.
A chicken breast (grounded in a food processor)
A bit of parmasean and mexican blend cheese.
And since i had no fresh greens i added several different kinds of dry ones..i think chives…basil…rosemary!?
Oh and i mixed plain with italien bread crumbs.
I called it garbage potato pancakes..YUM 😁
LOL! Yummy, that does sound delicious! 🙂
Oh my! I watched the video with my kids. Such a genius way to use leftover mashed potatoes. I might make mashed potatoes just to make this though. That cheese pull is everything. And your son is the cutest!
Thank you so much! I’m glad you guys enjoyed the video….and the cheesy goodness! 😀
Natashia, I was wondering if corn starch could be used in place of flour (as in your Cheesy Chicken Fritter recipe) to keep it gluten free? (I would also use gluten free bread crunbs.)
Hi Lynn, I honestly haven’t tried that substitution so I’m not sure how it would affect the texture. If you experiment, please let me know how it goes. I would probably use half the amount in corn starch or less.
How do you stay so skinny making food like this!? Looks so rich & decadent! I’d like to try a lower calorie verison in baking them but I also cannot eat wheat. Any suggestions on flour and crumb replacement?! Ground oats?
Jessica thank you – you’re so nice! 🙂 I’ve been doing the 30 day shred 2 to 3 times per week and I’ve gotten to level 2 now :). I’m definitely not in awesome shape but I’m working on it :). I think a gluten free flour would work well in the pancakes to help them keep their shape and I haven’t tried using the ground oats on the outside so I’m not sure. It sounds like a good idea though! You could also omit the crumbs if you wanted to. I love the crispy exterior but the recipe will still work without it.
My previous comment must have gone to archives. Cooked your pancakes and a big hit with family. Wanted to send photo but could find no platform for doing so.
Hi Warren! Thank you so much for the amazing review!! I didn’t see a previous comment but I’m really happy to see this one! I currently don’t have the option of uploading your photo to my site but it’s something I’m hoping to get in the future. I would love to see your photo though! If you have a facebook account, could you upload it to my facebook page?
We don”t like mozzarella cheese. Could I substitute cheddar?
Hi Sharon, yes that would work fine 🙂
Can you please tell me approximately how many potatoes to boil and the size of the potatoes…medium, large?
Elaine, four cups of mashed potatoes convert to 6 or 7 medium potatoes or at least 2 pounds of potatoes. Hope this helps 😬
I just finished making them, soooo delicious. I had some extra bacon leftover from breakfast so I’ve added it to the mixure, hoping it will add some good flavor to it. Thank you for this recipe. My 3 year old said “it’s yummy mommy” !!!!!
Bacon and potatoes -you can never go wrong with that combo 😬. Yana, thank you for such a nice review; compliments from the kids are music to mom’s ears 😀.
These look awesome!! The perfect comfort food, basically.
Thank you Natasha, we never have any leftovers 😬.
ever tried 8nstant potatoes
or shredded hash browns
Hi Tonia, I don’t recommend instant potatoes because they are much too creamy and you would have to add excessive amounts of flour for them to hold properly.
Thank you Natasha for saving my leftover mashed potatoes with your delicious recipe. The pancakes turned out great 👍. It used to be my favorite dinner back in college. My cafeteria served them every Friday with mushroom gravy. If you never tried this combination, I highly recommend it. Yummy 😋
My pleasure Anna! Thanks for the suggestion and for sharing your wonderful review 😀
These look delicious! My chives plant is just starting to come back from winter. This might have to be the first dish of the spring that I incorporate fresh chives into.
They are SO GOOD! Please let me know what you think of the recipe!
Hi Natasha, do you think if I bake them, they will turn our just as good?
Hi Alina, to be honest, I’ve never tried baking these so I can’t say for sure. I love how they get crispy when they are sautéed. I imagine it would be similar to baked cheese sticks – sprayed with cooking spray to turn a pretty golden color and then baked in a preheated oven at 400˚F for 5 minutes per side. Now I haven’t tested this theory, it’s just my best guess 🙂
Every week (sometimes twice) we check with the kiddos what did Natasha create today? You never disappoint us, pure genius, foolproof recipes again and again! Thank you Natasha, you’re such an inspiration! 🙂
Awww!! That is so sweet of you to say 🙂 Thank you so much!
Yum! I love this idea!
Thank you Sara!! 🙂