Mashed Potato Pancakes - Recipe for Holiday Leftovers (2024)

FAQs

Why are my mashed potato pancakes falling apart? ›

Your pancakes could be falling apart for a few different reasons. First, your mashed potatoes might have been too loose or runny. Or, you didn't add enough flour or eggs to the batter. Finally, undercooking the potato pancakes can lead to them falling apart.

The potato pancake is much simpler, with nothing but raw grated potatoes, egg, and all-purpose flour. The latke, on the other hand, adds baking powder, matzo meal, and even a splash of milk, according to Cooktoria. Surprisingly, the potato pancake has a longer preparation time due to the simplicity of its batter.

TO STORE: After cooling, leftover potato pancakes can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. TO REHEAT: Reheat potato pancakes in the oven at 400 degrees F for five to 10 minutes.

Russet potatoes work best in this recipe because they have a high starch content, which helps to bind the pancakes together. I do not recommend substituting with red or yellow potatoes.

Fry the latkes no more than an hour or two ahead of serving. You can warm them by placing the latkes in a single layer on a sheet pan in a very low (200 F) oven. If they stay there too long, they will no longer be as crisp, but they will still be very appealing.

If you are grating potatoes, making potato pancakes, potato kugels, or doing any intensive preparation of the potato where it's going to be exposed to the air for longer while you work, mix in a little ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) into your mixture.

These potato pancakes (called latkes) are meant to symbolize the miracle of Hanukkah, when the oil of the menorah in the ransacked Second Temple of Jerusalem was able to stay aflame for eight days even though there was only enough oil for one day. The symbolism comes in the form of the oil in which latkes are fried.

Beat eggs, flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper together in a large bowl; stir in potatoes and onion. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of potato mixture into hot oil in batches. Press to flatten.

Potato pancakes are associated with almost every European cuisine and are referred to as a variety of names including latkes (Jewish culture), kartoffelpuffer (Germany), bramborak (Slovakia and Czech Republic), draniki (Austria), tattifish (England) and rosti (Switzerland) (“Potato Pancake Background”, n.d).

– Always serve latkes hot and fresh if possible.

When ready to reheat, place in a 375 degree oven for about 10 minutes (7 if using a convection oven) until heated through just prior to serving. A convection oven setting will produce a more crispy result.

Can you leave potato pancakes out overnight? ›

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) food and safety basics states cooked food can be left at room temperature up to two hours. If the temperature outside (or inside your house) is 90°F or above, you should cut that time in half.

Refrigerate covered to avoid exposure to air. Sometimes I'll use a clean kitchen towel, moisten and cover the potato mixture directly. Don't cover with foil, it can also turn the potatoes dark or gray so use clear plastic wrap instead.

Fry in an oil with a high smoke point

Vegetable oil or canola oil is usually best, because of its high smoking point. Latkes were traditionally made with schmaltz, or chicken fat, so if you have access to it, you should certainly add it in, because it does contribute to the flavor.

Serving them with applesauce and sour cream is the most classic choice, but Grandma Blanche served them with cottage cheese, and so we always include it in our potato pancake garnish spread, too. If you're in a potato mood, but want something more dinner-time friendly, try our Pierogi!

Too many eggs and your pancakes are rubbery; too much flour or starch, and they're too dense.

The egg wash and panko keeps the patties from falling apart in the frying pan, and makes for a nice crust.

A common culprit with messy pancakes is a batter that is too thin. If your batter has too much liquid, it won't have enough structure to hold together during cooking and will run all over the pan when flipped. You can address this by simply adding more flour to your batter.

You Add Potato Pieces to Boiling Water

Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. You do not want to leave the water boiling for long. The aggressive temperature and rolling bubbles will cause the potatoes to fall apart. Cook just until tender, and drain.

Potato pancakes may turn out mushy if there is too much moisture in the potatoes or if the batter is too wet. To prevent this, be sure to thoroughly squeeze out excess liquid from the grated potatoes using a kitchen towel or cheesecloth before mixing them with the other ingredients.