Ham and Cheese Mashed Potato Cakes

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix everything together very well, until evenly incorporated. Preheat a large, non-stick pan over medium heat and add a couple tablespoons of oil.

Use an ice cream scoop to scoop out the exact amount of mashed potato mixture so the potato cakes will all be the same size. Grease your hands with a little oil so you can easily shape the potato cakes. 

Scoop out some mashed potato mixture and form mashed potato patties with your hands. (Or you can drop the scoops into preheated pan and press gently with the spatula.)

Add mashed potato patties to the pan and cook for about 5-7 minutes on each side, until golden brown.

Tips For The Best Potato Cakes

• Most important thing to remember is taste, taste, taste. Taste the mashed potatoes and then taste the potato cakes mixture. Since you’re combining already made mashed potatoes and ham, make sure to taste everything before adding more salt. 
• Mashed potatoes may vary in density so if the potatoes are very soft and thin, you may need to add an extra tablespoon or two of flour to the mixture. 
• Use an ice cream scoop to measure out the exact amount of the potato mixture so the cakes will all be the same size. 
• I highly recommend using non-stick pan so that the soft potato cakes don’t get stuck onto the pan. It will also dramatically reduce the amount of oil needed to cook them. 
• If your cakes are sticking to the pan, you may not have added enough oil. Add a couple of tablespoons more.
• Always preheat the pan first, then add oil, and then add the cakes. Make sure not to move or flip them too soon, just let them cook.

How To Make Mashed Potato Cakes Gluten Free?

This recipe is very easy to make gluten free with just one substitution. Simply swap the all purpose flour with gluten free all purpose flour. Remaining ingredients should already be gluten free but you will want to double check the packaging just to make sure.

You can also make this lactose free! When making mashed potatoes, use lactose free milk and plant-based butter. When it comes to cheese, make sure to use aged cheddar. Aged, harder cheeses are naturally lactose free and you can always check the packaging to make sure.

Freezing Instructions

To freeze mashed potato cakes, cool them first to room temperature. Cover a cutting board with parchment paper and lay potato cakes on top in one layer. Freeze for about 2 hours. (Set a timer so you don’t forget.)

Once they are frozen, transfer them into a large zip-lock freezer bag. Get all the air out of the bag and seal. Label the bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

If you wish, you can store them portioned into several smaller freezer bags, instead of one large one. Portioning them will make it easier to pull and defrost one serving at a time.

To thaw frozen potato cakes, pull the bag out of the freezer into the refrigerator and slaw-thaw overnight. 

To reheat them, you can simply place them on a plate and reheat in the microwave, covered with the plate cover.

For the best result, you will want to recreate a little crunch on the outside. Reheat them in the cooking pan over medium-low heat. Use non-stick pan that way no additional oil will be needed. 

Some More Recipes To Try

• Homemade Mashed Potatoes Recipe
• Instant Pot Garlic Mashed Potatoes
• Mashed Sweet Potatoes
• Mashed Potato Cakes
• Sweet Potato Casserole

All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe.
Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.