Fried Mashed Potato Cakes with Cheddar Mustard Sauce

Fried Mashed Potato Cakes with Cheddar Mustard Sauce

Mashed potatoes, fried in cake form until golden brown, crispy and crunchy on the outside and soft and warm on the outside....oh that's right.  Think that one over and I dare you to come up with something wrong with that.  Now, as awesome as that sounds, imagine a smooth and tangy cheddar mustard sauce spilling down over those hot cakes, dribbling down the sides and just coating the plate.  Now I dare you to not run immediately into you kitchen and get to making them.

The perfect way to use up leftover mashed potatoes

Crispy on the outside and soft and creamy on the inside

Amazing.

There comes a time in every home cook's life where you are staring down at cold leftover bowl of mashed potatoes.  They were great the day before, all fluffy, buttery and warm and now they sit before you, a giant shivering mass of boring.  You could (*shudder*) stick them in the microwave to re-heat them but you know it wouldn't be the same delicious side dish you knew yesterday.  It's time to let it go, man, and just create something new.  That's right, you take those potatoes and with a few simple ingredients, you resurrect them by transforming them into flat patties of sweet mashed potato awesomeness.  Now get to it! What are you waiting for?

Fried Mashed Potato Cakes with Cheddar Mustard Sauce
* Makes 6

- 2 cups leftover mashed potatoes
- 1 egg
- 3 tbs flour (more or less depending on the consistency of your potatoes)
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- Extra virgin olive oil for the pan
Sauce:
- 2 tbs coarse grain mustard
- 2 tbs creme frache (greek yogurt and sour cream both make fine substitutes)
- Pepper
- 2 tbs White wine
- 3 tbs cheddar cheese

Crack the egg into a small bowl and stir with a fork.  In a big bowl, combine the mashed potatoes, egg mixture and flour until a wet dough forms.  Add the rosemary and mix together until combines.

In a pan, heat a couple drizzles of extra virgin olive oil.  Shape the potato mixture into cakes and gently drop into the pan.  Heat on medium hi until both sides are golden brown.  Remove the cakes from heat and set them aside.  Using the pan, add the mustard and white wine to a pan.  Using a whisk, scrape up all the bits left behind by the cakes.  Add the creme frache, cheese and pepper to the pan and on low heat, mix until the sauce has come together and the wine has cooked down.  If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of water or chicken stock to thin it out.  To serve, place the potato cakes on a plate and drizzle the mustard cheddar sauce on top.  Serve warm.  See that? Nice and easy and no fancy cookware required!  Now you can get back to watching the Food Network.  That's what I'm going to do, helllooo Thanksgiving specials!