Mashed Potato Cakes

Be honest, who still has Thanksgiving leftovers languishing in the refrigerator?  As much as I love the initial few rounds of turkey sandwiches, stage where there's a little of this and a little that left, but not enough for a meal can be tough to deal with.  Our delicious smoked turkey had been used up (or set aside in the freezer, designated for a future meal), roasted veggies snacked on, and rolls used for breakfast sandwiches, but we still had about two cups of mashed potatoes hanging out.

Looking for something a little different than another pile of mashed potatoes on the plate with dinner, I looked for a mashed potato pancake recipe that I had everything for, and hit gold when I saw a recipe that called for bacon fat on How Sweet It Is.  Every once in a while I save the rendered fat from cooking a package of bacon, and lucky for me, I had done this recently.  Let's be real; nothing makes a potato taste better than bacon fat.  I didn't change much here, just added a little cheese and some scallions for a little extra flavor.

Mashed Potato Pancakes

What's in them:

2 c mashed potatoes
3 Tbsp flour, more if your mashed potatoes are on the loose side
1/2 c shredded cheddar or colby jack cheese
1 scallion, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp bacon grease, butter or olive oil

How to make them:

Sprinkle flour on mashed potatoes, add in cheese and scallions (or any other mix-ins you like) and stir gently to combine.  Form into eight patties that are about 1/2-1" thick.  I like them on the thinner side for a higher crust to mashed potato ratio.

Heat a skillet on medium high heat. Add your fat of choice and let it heat for 30 seconds. Add patties and let them brown on each side, about 3-4 minutes per side.  Don't rush and try to flip them before they're ready, or you'll use that delicious brown crust.

Serve immediately, with more cheese scallion, or even a dab of sour cream.