Mashed Potato Pancakes over Garlic Sautéed Greens – Thanksgiving Leftover Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why are my mashed potato pancakes falling apart? ›

Your pancakes could be falling apart for a few different reasons. First, your mashed potatoes might have been too loose or runny. Or, you didn't add enough flour or eggs to the batter.

Mashed potatoes are incredibly versatile and pair well with a wide range of dishes. They're a classic accompaniment for roasted meats like chicken, beef, and pork, but also go well with grilled fish, meatloaf, sausages, and vegetables. You can also pair them with different sauces and gravies for added flavor.

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.

Gluten, which is found in flour, keeps pancakes from falling apart. Gluten, a type of protein, forms a “spiderweb” within baked goods, giving them structure. As the starches gelatinize, and turn from a batter to bread, the gluten strands hold them in place.

It is totally fine to eat potatoes every day. While how you prepare and cook potatoes and how much you eat could possibly impact your health, whole potatoes with skin are a nutritious vegetable with health benefits.

Another nice thing about leftover mashed potatoes is that you can use them as a blank canvas and add in other ingredients. Stir in some sour cream, grated garlic, and chives, or add a generous amount of grated parmesan and cracked black pepper. With so many different ways to flavor them, you'll never be bored.

If the potato pancakes are falling apart while you're shaping them before you start cooking, they are either either too wet or they need more flour to hold them together. You can also mix the flour a little more the mix to develop gluten and then let it rest before cooking.

Fat (melted butter) makes the pancakes rich and moist.

On the other hand, too little fat will make them dry and crispy—almost cracker-like. With little gluten, pancakes rely on eggs to provide the additional structure necessary to hold the bubbles and allow the pancake to rise.

The biggest culprit that's making your hash browns come apart is moisture. You need to make sure the potatoes are dry before adding them to the flour and egg mixture. Whether you squeeze them out in a dish towel or use a salad spinner, get the potatoes as dry as they can be.

Using a potato ricer or food mill breaks down cooked potatoes without overworking them, and from there you can gently fold in butter and milk for light and airy mashed potatoes, or you can control the level of starch manipulation to produce creamy pommes purée.