These cheesy potato pancakes are the best way to use leftover mashed potatoes. They are a classic and are made with little more than grated potatoes and onions, with egg and flour for binding. Serve these classic potato pancakes with applesauce or sour cream. Top them with slices of smoked salmon and a dollop of sour cream and you have a fabulous easy lunch. They are great as a side dish with dinner or with a big breakfast or brunch as well. Although the best way to enjoy these potato pancakes is right out of the frying pan, when they are fresh and oh-so-crispy, you may freeze these successfully. To get the crispiest latkes you need to make sure the oil is the right temperature.

If your oil isn’t hot enough, your first batch of latkes will stick or flip poorly, and you’ll have a mess on your hands. Before you start frying, check the temperature of the oil—about 365 to 375 F (185 to 190 C) is ideal. Just fully cook the potato pancakes and then let them cool down completely. Once cold, place them in a single layer onto a baking sheet and freeze for at least 2 hours or until they are hard. Transfer the frozen pancakes to freezer storage bags. When ready to serve, preheat the oven to 450 F. When there’s a big bowl of latke batter in front of you and eager eaters standing by, it’s natural to want to move things along by making as many latkes as possible at once.

But don’t make the mistake of crowding the pan. Arrange the frozen latkes on baking sheets, in a single layer and bake for about 15 minutes. So simple, yet unbelievably tasty, these Classic Potato Pancakes are not to be missed. Latkes should be crispy, not greasy. Have a paper towel-lined plate or cookie sheet at the ready, and transfer the latkes to it as they come out of the skillet

Ingredients;

  • 250g cold mashed potato or 2 medium-size floury potatoes, cut into chunks
  • 75g plain flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 2 eggs
  • 125ml milk
  • 1 rounded tbsp finely snipped chives
  • 1 tsp sunflower oil
  • knob of butter

Instructions;

  1. If you’ve got potatoes not mash, cook them in boiling water until tender.
  2. Drain well and press through a potato ricer or mash. Weigh out 250g and cool.
  3. Sieve the flour and baking powder onto cooled mash.
  4. Whisk eggs and milk together and add to the potato mix with the chives. Whisk the batter until smooth.
  5. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat.
  6. Add the ½ tsp sunflower oil and a dot of butter. When the fat is hot, start to cook the pancakes.
  7. Add 1 tbsp of batter for each pancake and cook 4 at a time.
  8. Cook for about 1 min until the underside is golden brown and small bubbles appear.
  9. Flip the pancakes and cook until golden. Remove from the pan and keep warm while you cook the remaining pancakes in the same way, adding a tiny bit of oil and butter to the pan as and when needed.
  10. Serve the pancakes in stacks with creamy scrambled egg and crisp rashers of streaky bacon.