Following the teachings of my grandmother to “make good with what you’ve got”, I try hard to use up as much food as possible and not let it go to waste. I disappoint myself when I find the occasional science project growing in my refrigerator. Containers get pushed to the back of the refrigerator and overlooked, forgotten or just plain ignored.
A big leftover baked potato keep staring me down for several days. My grandmother and mother frequently made potato fritters with leftover mashed potatoes. I don’t know what they did leftover baked potatoes. Maybe their estimates of food amounts needed for each meal was keener than mine and they had never had any leftover baked potatoes. I rarely do, either. But, this time, I was left with a whopper.
With a nod to the familiar mashed potato fritter, I created a baked potato fritter. Adding some potato peelings to the fritter mixture kept the essence of baked potato alive.
Coating with bread crumbs created a crispy coating that adding an extra dimension.
I think Granny would have loved these fritters. She would have thought that I was smart to use up food and not let it go to waste. The smartest thing about me is that I learned to listen to Granny’s teachings.
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Baked Potato Fritters
yield: 4 (2 inch) fritters
To keep the fritters tasting more like a baked potato than regular mashed potatoes, I kept about 1/3 of the skins and added them back in the potato mixture. Rolling the fritters in bread crumbs prior to frying, adds a most desirable crispy coating.
1 large cooked baked potato (about 1 cup), peeled with 1/3 of peeling reserved
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 green onion, minced
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1 tsp sour cream
2 tsp flour
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/ 5 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 cup bread crumbs
oil for frying
Mash potato and add egg. Stir well. Add next 6 ingredients and reserved potatoes peels. Mix well. Form into fritters. If the mixture isn’t stiff enough to hold the shape as a fritter, add more flour.
Coat with bread crumbs. Fry in medium hot oil until brown on one side, which will only take about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook until the other side is brown.
Serve with traditional baked potato toppings: shredded cheese, sour cream, chopped green onion, crumbled bacon or salsa.
You might also enjoy:
Grilled Rosemary and Garlic Skewered Potatoes
Maureen @ Orgasmic Chef says
I had an employee a long time ago in Knoxville, Tennessee who said this sentence so often he became known for it. It certainly fits on this post.
“There’s nuthin better’n frah’d p’tatas!”
The southern accent helps. I love your fritters!
Jackie Garvin says
Maureen,
I can just hear him saying that! It wouldn’t be right without a Southern accent. 🙂
Cathy Riggs says
I think all these would need to be absolutely decadent with the fresh fried bacon bits and shredded sharp cheddar mixed right in!! Think I am going to have to make some!! And Jackie I always bake an extra potato for a quick ‘tater side dish – hash browns, etc so will definitely add this recipe to the file!!
Jackie Garvin says
Cathy,
I agree with you that bacon and cheese would be a wonderful addition mixed in with the fritters! Please let me know how these turn out for you if you make them. 🙂
sherrie says
YUM!!! i love using leftover baked taters to make fried taters. just slice them up and saute them in some butter w/some chopped bacon. top w/cheese and there ya have it. sprinkle w/some seasonin salt and it’s heaven on a plate.
Jackie Garvin says
Sherrie,
I’ve never used leftover baked potatoes in the same way as you but I’ve heard from plenty of folks how good they are cooked that way. Thanks for sharing!! 🙂
Ann says
Yum Yum – those look wonderful – I love the statement above bout fried taters!!! LOL I remember eating mashed potato fritters and corn fritters, these look yummy too!! (not something we do a lot anymore – but why????) Thanks Jackie
Jackie Garvin says
Ann,
I don’t know why mashed potato fritters fell out of favor. Fritters are certainly popular. I suppose people are more interested in creating new types of fritters than sticking with the old standards. 🙂
Jean says
Jackie those look positively scrumptious!! I cannot throw away food either. It just seems to rub against the grain of what I have been taught all my life. My Radford grandparents were very frugal and used things from their store that were considered scraps. She was the one who made the gritty cake icing that I love. I see nothing wrong with cooking the potatoes just for this recipe!
Jackie Garvin says
Jean,
It almost seems immoral to throw away food. I really disappoint myself when I let food ruin and have to throw it out.
Lillian says
I’ve never thought of making fritters with baked potatoes, but I’ll bet they’re wonderful. They sure ook good.
Lillian
lillianscupboard.wordpress.com
Jackie Garvin says
Thanks, Lillian! I hope you’ll give them a try. 🙂
Terra says
I waste too much too, and always get mad at myself when I do. Lately we have been better about wasting, and really trying to eat up our delicious food. This recipe is a great idea for using up potatoes, and they sound really delicious! Hugs, Terra
Jackie Garvin says
Terra,
It certainly beats just reheating the baked potato. I hope you enjoy!:)
Chris Thomas says
Whether you call them boxtys, latkes, placki kartoflane, kartoffelpuffer, fritters or just plain ‘ol potato pancakes, these were a favorite staple when I was growing up in New York City.
Several years ago I introduced my wife to an old Irish favorite, as taught to me by my grandmother when I was a kid; bubble ‘n squeak. I have, however, developed a very unique twist on it in which it becomes a complete meal in and unto itself. If you’re interested, I’d be more than happy to share my recipe.
God bless.
Jackie Garvin says
I love bubble ‘n squeak. You could certainly add sausage or some other protein for a complete meal.
Bonny Lee says
When I was a kid, my mother always baked more potatoes than we would need for a meal. A few nights later, she would cube up the leftover baked potatoes (skins and all), slice a few slices of bacon into narrow strips, fry the bacon, and add the potatoes when the bacon was crisp. If she was short the amount of potato needed to feed us, she would cut one or two slices of bread into cubes and cook with the potato. Season with onion salt and pepper. I loved these. I think adding some chopped onion, with the potatoes, would be good too.
Jackie Garvin says
Bonnie,
I always love to hear the ingenious ways used to stretch food to feed a family. Adding bread cubes was brilliant. Thank you so much for sharing.
Kathryn Denton says
We used to cut them in chunks or slice them in thick pieces with the peeling on and then pan fry them in some oil with a little bacon grease added to it. Yum!!!