Alice Gurkin's Mashed Potato Cake

Alice Gurkin's Mashed Potato Cake

I don't think I have ever seen a recipe for Mashed Potato Cake. It's just not something you would think of. However, I grew up eating this at least once every two weeks or so. Mom would take some day-old mashed potatos and a few odds and ends and make something that was truly delicious. Here is Mom's old southern recipe for mashed potato cake and I believe my Mom got her recipe from my grandmother, but wouldn't swear to it.

• Some flour (on a plate)
• Some leftover mashed potatoes (cold)
• Some butter
• Salt and pepper to taste
• (Don't you just love these exact amount ingredients in old recipes? But this is what I have to work with from many of these old recipes. And temps would generally be low, moderate, med, med high, high, etc. Depending on if you were cooking on top of the stove or in the oven, the temps would vary a lot in degrees.)

Divide the mashed potatoes into portions and then make them into balls. Flatten the balls into a "cake" and then flour both sides of the potato cake. Fry the potato cakes in butter (med heat) until you get a golden crust on both sides. Use a bit of salt and pepper on them. I bet you will end up making extra mashed potato's just so you can make potato cake before you get done with this recipe. These are good with gravy, without gravy, with meat, without meat. They are just good.( Note: You can extend the potatoes by mixing in an egg and some flour. But that's messy. You still have to flour the cakes and fry them.)