Mashed Potato Pancakes - Recipe for Holiday Leftovers (2024)

FAQs

Are potato pancakes good the next day? ›

Warm and crispy potato latkes, or potato pancakes, are a delicious and easy side dish for so many family celebrations because they can be made ahead and reheated just before serving.

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.

If your pancakes aren't sticking together while you form them, you can add a bit more egg, or put the potato mixture into the refrigerator to firm up again. If your pancakes are feeling too wet and won't form into a patty you can add a bit of flour to act as a binder.

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.

Store your leftover potato pancakes in an airtight container (lined with paper towels to absorb the excess oil) in the refrigerator for up to two days. Reheat in the oven or in the air fryer.

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.

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.

Tradition says so

Latkes are usually served at dinnertime along with a meaty main, like brisket. Mixing milk and meat at the same meal is a no-no for those who keep kosher, so sour cream would be out as a latke condiment leaving the underdog apple sauce victorious.

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.

How do you reheat mashed potatoes so they taste good? ›

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Add a dash of cream or milk, and some more butter to the dish before baking. To further avoid dryness, don't skimp on butter and other dairy products. Reheat the potatoes until they're warm throughout—the potatoes should reach 165 degrees before serving.

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.

If you find that your potato pancakes are soggy rather than crispy, it's likely because your skillet and oil are not hot enough. The oil and pancakes should sizzle when they hit the pan. Also, do not overcrowd the pan by trying to cook too many pancakes at once. Work in batches.

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 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) food and safety basics states cooked food can be left at room temperature up to two hours. If the temperature outside (or inside your house) is 90°F or above, you should cut that time in half.

According to the information I found, perishable foods, including pancakes, should not be left at room temperature for more than two hours [1]. This time limit is reduced to one hour if the room temperature is 90 degrees Fahrenheit or higher [1].

Having a late breakfast and left your waffles out for a few hours? FoodSafety.org says you should be fine. Same goes for pancakes and bagels. If milk, cream, sour cream and yogurt has been left unrefrigerated for longer than two hours, don't take your chances and throw them out.