My dad (who is now 86) made authentic potato pancakes when I was a little girl, and I remember them being crispy on the outside, and very soft on the inside, and let’s not forget the dollop of real sour cream on top. Well…I came up with my own (healthier) version today after I noticed I had left over mashed potatoes in the fridge. You see…I’m trying to use everything I cook because so much money literally goes down the drain. I hope you try my “Quick Potato Pancake Recipe” soon, here’s the deets…

What Type of Potatoes do You Use for Potato Pancakes?

I was pleasantly surprised yesterday how well these potato pancakes turned out using ingredients I’ve never used for them before. I just couldn’t resist putting our upstairs bathroom makeover on hold, while I share all the details with you.

So…I have a tator 🥔 confession. My husband and I enjoy “instant mashed potatoes” as a side dish for our favorite chicken and roast beef recipes for 3 reasons.

First, the convenience of instant mashed potatoes…they literally take 5 minutes to make in the microwave, they taste fantastic (my added flavoring tips are below), and I can monitor how many calories I’m consuming much easier. One full batch of the instant potatoes I use is 400 calories total. I make sure our servings don’t go over the 100 mark by just serving us 1/4 of the bowl (most of the time).

So, yah…this recipe uses left over instant potatoes and I am proud of it 😆. Just look how good they look.

Why Use Egg Beater for Potato Pancakes?

The other important detail I think you should know, is that Egg Beaters really seem to work better than fresh eggs. When I’ve tried this with fresh eggs, and it seems to be less fluffy and very flat. In addition, Egg Beaters have less calories/more protein per serving- so I love that (of course you can use full eggs if you like).

Lastly, I’m now using avocado cooking spray from Costco, to fry up all my eggs, pancakes, veggies, etc.- and I LOVE IT. No oil required in the pan, the avocado spray really seems to crisp them up wonderfully.

What Do You Eat Potato Pancakes With?

Before I tell you all my secrets in the recipe, potato pancakes are perfect for breakfast, but not with maple syrup. At least not for me. I love spreading fat free Greek yogurt (or sour cream), salt, pepper & green onion. I didn’t have green onion for the photos, so I put yellow onion & onion powder in the recipe. On the side you could add a fried egg, Polish sausage, and even sauerkraut…oh and ketchup is a good one for kiddos. Enjoy~

Potato Pancake Recipe

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Yield: 2

Quick Potato Pancake Recipe

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These quick potato pancakes don't require hardly any prep, and are made using left over mashed potatoes, egg beaters, and onion. They turn out crispy and are wonderful topped with plain Greek yogurt or sour cream.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

• Approximately 1-1 1/4 cup cups left over *instant mashed potatoes (Real mashed potatoes will work, too!)
• 3/4 cup egg beaters (Real eggs will work, too!)
• 1/4 cup chopped raw onion (green or yellow)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon parsley
• salt & pepper to taste
• garnish: more green onion
• (*note: I use left over instant mashed potatoes by Idahoan Buttery Homestyle Instant 4 oz. packet- and I add 1/2 cup of Greek yogurt to the original 4 ounce packet full original recipe when first made following the microwave directions on the packet. That Greek yogurt adds creaminess to the potatoes when we eat them the first time, and then the leftover instant mashed potatoes make it a fantastic ingredient for this recipe.)

Instructions

Read first:

-You can't alway predict how much left over instant mashed potatoes you will have, so the basic rule of thumb here, should be 1 cup of potatoes to 3/4 cup egg beaters. If you have more potatoes, use more egg beaters/eggs.

-After reviweing how I make my instant mashed potatoes above, measure your leftover mashed potatoes and if you have 1 cup you are good to go!

-Combine all ingredients listed above with a fork until smooth and so the consistency is similar to regular pancake batter. It shouldn't be too thick, or too watery. If it gets too watery, a little flour (or more potato) won't hurt.

-Prepare a large frying pan with cooking spray, or oil. Pour batter onto medium hot pan in the size pancake you prefer.

-When you begin to notice "bubble holes" in the pancake, it's time to flip. Cook until golden brown. Serve immediately or warm up in toaster!

-Garnish with fat free Greek yogurt/sour cream and green onion.

Notes

On the side you could add a fried egg, Polish sausage, and even sauerkraut...oh and ketchup is a good one for kiddos.

You can heat these up in the toaster!

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