Don't Toss Leftover Mashed Potatoes – Make This Staple Irish Side Dish Instead

Mashed potatoes are a classic comfort food that most of us eat on a fairly regular basis. And if you're making enough for a crowd, it's likely that you'll have some leftovers. While you might be tempted to throw leftover mashed potatoes out so you don't have to eat them for the rest of the week, you should repurpose them into Irish potato cakes instead.

If there's a culinary culture that knows a thing or two about potatoes, it's the Irish. Among the many famous Irish potato dishes you should know are the humble yet delicious potato cakes. Sometimes the idea of using up leftover mashed potatoes is daunting because it might require an elaborate recipe. But that's not the case with potato cakes, consisting of a few staple ingredients. Making them only requires an egg, flour, salt, pepper, and a bit of butter to cook them in. Our recipe is a true one-bowl dump-it method that uses flour and eggs to bind the mashed potatoes into a mixture that's thick enough to form into patties. Chopped chives round out the rich earthy profile with some aromatic zing. The end result is a savory, crispy-on-the-outside, fluffy-on-the-inside cake to enjoy as a side dish or snack.

Turning mashed potatoes into potato cakes is simple, easy, and most importantly, delicious. But because so few ingredients are needed, you want to make those ingredients count. That's why butter, a more flavorful fat than frying oil, is the best way to make the potato cakes that much tastier. Coincidentally, the very best butter brand in grocery stores is Irish Kerrygold. This means you can upgrade the flavor and authenticity of the Irish potato cake with Irish butter. If you don't have chives, you can use diced garlic or shallots. You could leave out the aromatics altogether for that matter, especially if you serve them with flavorful garnishes or dipping sauces. Onion jam would be a great sweet and savory pairing. Of course, you can also take a lesson from Jewish potato pancakes like these classic latkes by serving the potato cakes with sour cream and apple sauce.

Potato cakes are a great breakfast foundation to top with a fried or poached egg, mashed avocado, or even lox and capers. Make them a part of a true Irish meal by pairing potato cakes with cabbage and bangers and a pint of Guinness to wash it all down. If you leave the chives out of the potato cakes, you could even eat potato cakes for dessert by topping them with fruit jam and a dollop of creme fraiche.