Potato patties

When I was a kid my mother used to make patties out of left-over mashed potatoes and brown them in a pan.  I have tried to make them myself, but they melt down and get runny.  Does anyone know the proper way to prepare mashed potato patties?

I don't know if it's proper, but this works;
Approx. 2 C. mashed potatoes
1 egg, beaten
salt, pepper, (grated cheese), (chopped onion)
Mix all together, form into four patties. dredge in flour, saute in a pan with bacon fat, oil, butter or whatever you have.
 
If you have a problem with them being runny, try mixing a tablespoon of flour in the potatoes, but the egg usually takes away any runnyness. 
 
Cheers, John 
 

seafarer john


I don't know if it's proper, but this works;
Approx. 2 C. mashed potatoes
1 egg, beaten
salt, pepper, (grated cheese), (chopped onion)
Mix all together, form into four patties. dredge in flour, saute in a pan with bacon fat, oil, butter or whatever you have.

If you have a problem with them being runny, try mixing a tablespoon of flour in the potatoes, but the egg usually takes away any runnyness. 

Cheers, John 

Yep. a good recipe for the Potato patties!

I just make sure mine are cold, right from the fridge, light dredge in flour and fry in butter or bacon grease. I do love these. Also try it with sweet potatoes.

Flour & Egg works. Flour dries them up, egg binds it together. Sometimes I sweat a little finely chopped onion beforehand and add it to the mixture. 

BTW: We have for the past couple of years been using rice flour for dredging anthing - it seems to us to work better than wheat flour...
 
Cheers, john 

Panko crumbs are also good to use instead of flour.

I just want to ask, but when saying mashed potatoes, these are not instant mashed potatoes. Or does it matter?

There are no insant potatoes in my house

Yeah, real mashed would work better, but i suppose in a pinch you could use the instant stuff (i almost never do).  Make them on the thick side add the egg, and, most likely, a tbl of flour per cup of potato (already prepared)
 

I grew up on potato pancakes and I still make them the way it's described here.  Best way to enjoy leftover mahed taters.

None of this is to be confused with German potato pancakes. I remember a tiny restaurant near Millbrook, NY a lot of years ago  where we'd get sauerbraten or schnitzle or wurst and all the thin lacy crispy oniony potato pancakes you could eat served with a rich gravy and or applesauce, whichever you preferred...
 
Cheers, John 

I do mine with panko crumbs also. Just the potatoes cold from the fridge (with shredded cheese if I have any), formed and rolled in the crumbs, then fried in a good hot pan. If I've made a dinner the day before, like roast beef or turkey, any leftover gravy gets heated up and poured over the patties.
What is really good on them though, is this sour cream-cilantro sauce I sometimes make, sort of stole the recipe from Claim Jumper restaurants (don't know if they serve it anymore). Sour cream, cilantro, a little dill, salt and pepper, finely diced tomatoes.