Mashed Potato Pancakes - Recipe for Holiday Leftovers (2024)

FAQs

Are potato pancakes good the next day? ›

Don't worry if they discolor a bit — you'll have crispy, golden brown potatoes at the end! Make Ahead Instructions: You can cook the potato pancakes in advance, drain them on paper towels, and then wrap tightly and store in a single layer in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

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.

Potato pancakes have a creamy, almost mashed-potato-like center, with a thin, golden, crisp exterior. Latkes, on the other hand, should have a deeply browned crust, with wispy, lacy edges. Latkes also aren't hash browns.

The Oven Is the Best Way to Reheat Mashed Potatoes

For the ideal oven reheat, move the potatoes to a baking dish and spread them evenly. Add cream, broth, or half and half along with butter, cover them, and then warm up low and slow at 350°F.

– 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.

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.

Potato pancakes may turn out mushy if there is too much moisture in the potatoes or if the batter is too wet.

It depends on whether your potatoes are turning gray before you cook them or after. When you grate raw potatoes, you release starch that can cause them to oxidize, or turn dark. The best way to keep that from happening is to cover the potatoes with cold water, then drain them very well and pat them dry before cooking.

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.

The Best Oil for Cooking Potato Pancakes

While I usually love cooking with olive oil, to pan-fry the potato pancakes, we need to use an oil that has a neutral flavor and high smoke point (olive oil is neither of these!). Canola oil, vegetable oil, peanut oil, and grapeseed oil would all work.

What culture eats potato pancakes? ›

It is the national dish of Belarus, Ukraine and Slovakia. In Germany, potato pancakes are eaten either salty (as a side dish) or sweet with apple sauce, or blueberries, sugar and cinnamon; they are a very common menu item during outdoor markets and festivals in colder seasons.

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).

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.

Mashed potatoes, like other starchy dishes that are made with dairy (think creamy casseroles, macaroni and cheese, scalloped potatoes), can develop a dry, gluey texture when reheated for too long, or at a temperature that's too high.

You can also add a bit of milk or cream to your cold mash, place them in a buttered oven-safe container, cover with foil, and heat in a 325-degree oven. I check frequently, stir occasionally, and add more dairy as needed, but this reheating method should take about 30 minutes total, give or take.

If you store hot pancakes, they will create condensation which will make your pancakes soggy. You can either wrap pancakes in foil and just stick them in the fridge or store them in an airtight container. Pancakes keep fine in the fridge for a week. If you have a large amount of leftover pancakes, you can freeze them.

How Long Can Food Sit Out? The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) food and safety basics states cooked food can be left at room temperature up to two hours.

Potatoes are typically 80 percent water and 20 percent solids or starch so to avoid soggy latkes, take the potato-onion mixture a handful at a time and literally squeeze the water out. Then add the eggs, flour and salt. Refrigerate covered to avoid exposure to air.

The Two-Hour Rule

Havern explains: "The maximum amount of time perishable foods can [spend] in the danger zone is two hours. At two hours, the food must be consumed, stored correctly, or thrown away. This includes all cooked leftovers, [chopped] fruits and vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy products."