Mashed Potato Pancakes - Recipe for Holiday Leftovers (2024)

FAQs

What dishes can be made from leftover mashed potatoes? ›

But not to worry, we've got 29 clever ways to use up all your leftover mashed potatoes, like shepherd's pie, homemade gnocchi, and even potato candy. If you've run out of potatoes and still want to make these super-simple shortcut recipes, we love starting off with our classic creamy mashed potatoes.

Flour absorbs some of the excess moisture from the milk and butter that is likely in your leftover mashed potatoes, a main culprit in pancakes that fall apart. It also provides protein and starch that helps the egg hold everything together.

How Long You Can Keep Leftover Mashed Potatoes. Mashed potatoes should easily last three to five days in the fridge if stored correctly and within two hours of cooking. This means ensuring there isn't any moisture buildup under the lid that could encourage the growth of bacteria.

Potato pancakes, also known as latkes, are rather temperamental food in terms of reheating. You can reheat them successfully, but usually only within a few hours of originally cooking them. They reheat better from frozen than from being refrigerated for more than a day or two, so if you do not plan ... Recipes I Love!

Cover with aluminum foil to keep the potatoes from drying out. Reheat at 350˚F for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the potatoes reach 165˚F.

It's essential to drain and dry your potatoes well after you've cooked them in water. If you don't, all that excess moisture will have nowhere to go once you start mashing. Did I cook my potatoes too long?: Overcooked potatoes can be waterlogged.

Get That Moisture Out. Using a kitchen towel or paper towel, wring out as much moisture as possible. If you don't drain the moisture, they won't crisp as easily and that may be why your potato pancakes are gummy.

If the potato pancakes are falling apart while you're shaping them before you start cooking, they are either either too wet or they need more flour to hold them together.

Get the Tips. As you are peeling potatoes, immediately submerge them, either whole or in chunks, in acidulated (a few drops of lemon or vinegar) water to prevent oxidation or they will quickly start to turn brown/gray.

Once cooked, potatoes last up to 4 days in the refrigerator and 1 year in the freezer, though the quality of cooked mashed potatoes suffers with freezing (4, 5). The chart below details shelf lives for various types of potatoes, including sweet, russet, Yukon Gold, red, and purple varieties.

Can you eat 8 day old mashed potatoes? ›

Don't leave leftovers or food you have prepared in the fridge for more than 3 days (less if it took long to cool down). Mashed potatoes kept in the fridge should be thrown away if not used after 72 hours.

– 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.

If you find that your potato pancakes often come out too soggy, a lack of heat is the most likely culprit.

You can make the batter in advance, or make the pancakes ahead of time and freeze them. They reheat perfectly, and super quickly, making them the perfect weekday breakfast.

But when you make too much or want to get a head start on the Thanksgiving menu, you might wonder: Can I freeze mashed potatoes? Yes, you can. Freezing mashed potatoes is a great way to plan for the holidays or avoid wasting any leftovers.

Schmidt tells us that, for best results, you can keep mashed potatoes in "a freezer set to 0°F or colder" for "up to one year." At this temperature and for this length of time, frozen mashed potatoes can be thawed and reheated without losing texture or flavor (and without risking the transmission of foodborne bacteria) ...

Add more cream and butter: More moisture and fat are the two secret ingredients to reheating any leftovers. For potatoes, reach for half-and-half or broth and butter.