Mashed Potato Pancakes

This is what my mom would do to make good use of leftover mashed potatoes and they are pure comfort—crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside. These would make a lovely simple supper all on their own.

Ingredients-makes about 15:

4-6 Tablespoons canola oil, divided
3 ½ cups leftover mashed potatoes and room temperature (make sure they are nicely seasoned)
2 eggs
1 ½ cups seasoned bread crumbs

Directions: place the mashed potatoes in a large mixing bowl and add the eggs. Stir until well combined. If the mixture is really sticky, add some instant potato flakes or a little flour. You want cakes that hold together. Form the mashed potato mixture into balls a little bigger than golf balls, using damp hands.  Spread the bread crumbs in a shallow bowl and coat each cake in the bread crumbs (don’t discard the leftover bread crumbs yet). Place on a plate and flatten slightly with you palm. Let rest in the fridge 30 minutes. Heat 2 Tbs. of oil in a large skillet on medium. Then, put the cakes back in the bread crumbs, shaking off any excess and add the pancakes in batches to the skillet. Cook for about 6-8 minutes per side or until nicely golden.  Add more oil as you need it. Note: you may want to clean out your skillet and add more oil between batches, especially if you have lots of browned crumbs in the pan.

Keep the first batch on a baking sheet in a warm oven until you are finished.

Serve with one or all of the following:

·        Applesauce with cinnamon sprinkled on top
·        Horseradish sauce: 1 cup sour cream and 1-2 Tablespoons fresh prepared horseradish
·        Smoked Salmon
·        Sweet and Sour Braised Red Cabbage
·        Sausages like kielbasa or bratwurst