# Can I do something with leftover mashed potatoes?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-do-something-with-leftover-mashed-potatoes/385584
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [December 26, 2006, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-do-something-with-leftover-mashed-potatoes/385584 "2006-12-26T03:51:04Z")
**Posts on this page:** 17
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [December 26, 2006, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-do-something-with-leftover-mashed-potatoes/385584/21 "2006-12-26T18:43:50Z")
You people are sickos. Potato pancakes, or _latkes_, as they are more properly called, are made with freshly grated potatoes, egg, scallion, flour and salt, then fried in melted shortening. Served with sausage that’s seasoned with marjoram, they’re wonderful, and are what we had for Christmas morning breakfast. Leftover mashed spuds shall never darken my fridge.
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### Author:  [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)
#### Post date: [December 26, 2006, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-do-something-with-leftover-mashed-potatoes/385584/22 "2006-12-26T18:51:38Z")
Well, with a name like **ChefGuy** – I’ve fixed them like you describe, and they were indeed excellent.
I just ate some of the leftovers mixed up with a beaten egg and shredded cheese, fried in real butter, and they were quite good. I wanted to add some sour cream but didn’t think I had any. Then as I was cleaning out the fridge, I found sour cream. But I’m thinking that if I didn’t remember having it, it was probably too old to use anyway. 🙂
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### Author:  [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)
#### Post date: [December 26, 2006, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-do-something-with-leftover-mashed-potatoes/385584/23 "2006-12-26T18:57:05Z")
[QUOTE=Ruby]
My mom’s recipe for potato pancakes was to shape mashed potatoes into pancake shapes and fry them in butter.
yummmmmmmmm!
[/QUOTE]
My mom did the same thing. No fuss, no muss. Just shape and fry. I’d use olive oil these days, though. It’s a great breakfast side on a cold winter day.
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### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [December 26, 2006, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-do-something-with-leftover-mashed-potatoes/385584/24 "2006-12-26T19:04:09Z")
[QUOTE=AuntiePam]
Well, with a name like **ChefGuy** – I’ve fixed them like you describe, and they were indeed excellent.
I just ate some of the leftovers mixed up with a beaten egg and shredded cheese, fried in real butter, and they were quite good. I wanted to add some sour cream but didn’t think I had any. Then as I was cleaning out the fridge, I found sour cream. But I’m thinking that if I didn’t remember having it, it was probably too old to use anyway. 🙂
[/QUOTE]
Yeah, pre-coffee this morning I dragged an unopened carton of buttermilk out of the fridge to make blueberry pancakes. It looked sort of bloated and I looked at the use-by date, which said “Sept 08”. My foggy brain said, “wow, that’s got a long shelf life”. Wrong. So very wrong.
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### Author:  [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)
#### Post date: [December 26, 2006, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-do-something-with-leftover-mashed-potatoes/385584/25 "2006-12-26T19:08:36Z")
[QUOTE=Chefguy]
You people are sickos. Potato pancakes, or _latkes_, as they are more properly called, are made with freshly grated potatoes, egg, scallion, flour and salt, then fried in melted shortening.
[/QUOTE]
Not if you grew up in my house. Leftover mashed potatoes, egg, flour, baking powder, scallions or grated onion, salt and pepper. MMmm!
Mom’s the youngest of 7, and her parents survived the depression. Not one bit of food was ever wasted. Of course, now? Mom doesn’t “do” leftovers. They go to my niece. Sure, make us eat all the leftovers, but now that we’re all grown and gone, pfft!
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### Author:  [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)
#### Post date: [December 26, 2006, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-do-something-with-leftover-mashed-potatoes/385584/26 "2006-12-26T19:57:40Z")
[QUOTE=AuntiePam]
\*\*Can I do something with leftover mashed potatoes? \*\*
[/QUOTE]
Sure. Brush up on the steps and do a [James Brown memorial performance.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mashed_Potato)
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### Author:  [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)
#### Post date: [December 26, 2006, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-do-something-with-leftover-mashed-potatoes/385584/27 "2006-12-26T20:00:10Z")
[You can always use it to make a meat cake](http://www.blackwidowbakery.com/demo/meatcake/), as well. 🙂
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### Author:  [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)
#### Post date: [December 26, 2006, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-do-something-with-leftover-mashed-potatoes/385584/28 "2006-12-26T20:13:52Z")
crab cakes. Or any other fish for that matter. I always make them with Cod. Just stir a couple eggs and whatever fish meat you want (plus seasoning and some green parsley/cilantro) and deep fry.
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### Author:  [@MikeG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeG)
#### Post date: [December 26, 2006, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-do-something-with-leftover-mashed-potatoes/385584/29 "2006-12-26T20:49:03Z")
To appease **Chefguy** , I’ll just suggest _Cazilli di patata_ or perhaps a nice _Croquette de Pomme de Terre_ 🙂
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### Author:  [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)
#### Post date: [December 26, 2006, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-do-something-with-leftover-mashed-potatoes/385584/30 "2006-12-26T22:25:19Z")
Bubble and Squeak!
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### Author:  [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)
#### Post date: [December 26, 2006, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-do-something-with-leftover-mashed-potatoes/385584/31 "2006-12-26T22:32:46Z")
Pour some sloppy joe goo over mashed taters and mix it up.
We call them Sloppy Taters.
It’s two comfort foods in one.
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### Author:  [@crazyjoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crazyjoe)
#### Post date: [December 26, 2006, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-do-something-with-leftover-mashed-potatoes/385584/32 "2006-12-26T22:53:55Z")
How about a nice mashed potato bake?
Mix 3 cups or so of the mashed potatoes with 1 cup cheddar cheese, and 1/2 can of french fried onions. Put into a casserole dish and mold it so it’s got a nice deep depression int he middle.
Into this depression, pour (after mixing together thoroughly) 1 ccan cream of potato soup, 16 oz thawed frozen veggies, some pepper (to your taste) and 2 cups cooked chicken.
Bake for 45 minutes, top with the rest of the onions and more cheese, and bake for 5 - 10 minutes until onions darken and cheese melts.
Oh, make sure the potatoes are at least room temp before putting in the oven, or it will take longer…potatoes are dense, and will keep the rest of your ingredients too cold if you don’t let them come to room temp or even heat them a bit before trying to bake the whole casserole.
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### Author:  [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)
#### Post date: [December 26, 2006, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-do-something-with-leftover-mashed-potatoes/385584/33 "2006-12-26T23:01:15Z")
You ever see A Christmas Story?
THAT’S what you do with mashed potatoes.
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### Author:  [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)
#### Post date: [December 26, 2006, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-do-something-with-leftover-mashed-potatoes/385584/34 "2006-12-26T23:18:11Z")
[QUOTE=Least Original User Name Ever]
You ever see A Christmas Story?
THAT’S what you do with mashed potatoes.
[/QUOTE]
Refresh my memory, please. Feel free to put it into a spoiler box.
**Chefguy** in the event that you make more mashed potatoes than are used at a given meal, what do you do with the remainder? Feed them to the dogs?
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### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [December 27, 2006, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-do-something-with-leftover-mashed-potatoes/385584/35 "2006-12-27T00:19:21Z")
[QUOTE=kaylasdad99]
Refresh my memory, please. Feel free to put it into a spoiler box.
**Chefguy** in the event that you make more mashed potatoes than are used at a given meal, what do you do with the remainder? Feed them to the dogs?
[/QUOTE]
Straight to the trash. I try not to have any left over, as I don’t like to waste food, so it’s usually a minimal amount.
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### Author:  [@Full\_Metal\_Lotus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Full_Metal_Lotus)
#### Post date: [December 27, 2006, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-do-something-with-leftover-mashed-potatoes/385584/36 "2006-12-27T00:25:05Z")
This is the ONLY thing to do with mashed potatoes… Too good, and healthy (low fat/sodium)too.
Put about 4 cups of mashed potatoes in a large mixing bowl. Add half a cup (or so) of skim milk, a sprinkle of salt, and if you like a table spoon of butter or marg
Mix well, and stir in flour (less than a cup, depending on moisture content of potatoes)
the resulting mix should be about as thick as toothpaste, but not sticky to the touch (don’t add more flour, stir it more to help the flour glutenize)…
flour a smooth surface and roll out balls of the dough about the size of a golf ball. You want to get them THIN. (think about 16/th of an inch.) they will be roughly 7-8 inches across
dry fry them in a griddle/frying pan over med/low heat. (they will have brown “freckles” when ready to flip). You may want to turn off your smoke detector as the flour residue can cause smoking
serve ( for 5-6 people) with butter, sugar and cinamon, jam, sour cream, lutefisk, smoked salmon, etc (roll them up like crepes around the filling of your choice.
NOTE: A google search will produce variations on this recipe, but this one works well, is fast, easy and yummy.
Enjoy!
FML
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### Author:  [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)
#### Post date: [December 27, 2006, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-do-something-with-leftover-mashed-potatoes/385584/37 "2006-12-27T00:46:56Z")
So many temptations.
I just ate them for the second time today, this time mixed in with some leftover corn. I think I belong in the White Trash Food thread from awhile back.
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