Onion Cheddar and Bacon Potato Cakes
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 small red onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups cold mashed potatoes
- 1 egg, beaten
- 4 rounded tbsp. all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup green onions, chopped
- 2 tbsp. parsley or other herb, chopped
- ½ tsp. black pepper
- 6 slices thick cut smoked bacon, crisply cooked and chopped
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, diced, ½-inch dice or smaller
Instructions
- In a small sauté pan, over medium heat, heat the olive oil.
- Add the red onion and garlic; sauté for only a couple of minutes until the onions are softened but not browned.
- Remove from heat; to a large bowl, add the onion and garlic mixture, along with the remaining ingredients; mix thoroughly to combine; if the mixture seems too wet, add a couple of additional tablespoons of flour to help bind it together.
- Form into 12 balls; roll in the flour and flatten into potato cakes about 1-inch thick; wetting your hands to roll the potato into balls is recommended, especially if the potatoes are particularly sticky.
- In a cast iron skillet, over medium heat, heat a quarter inch of canola oil.
- Place the potato cakes in the iron skillet and fry for a few minutes on each side until golden brown.
- Remove from the skillet and drain on paper towels before serving.
Notes
These are very soft potato cakes and need a gentle touch while frying; a fish spatula, or similar kitchen tool, works well for handling.
Do not crowd too many at a time into the pan and provide plenty of room to flip them for perfect looking potato cakes.
If the mashed potato is particularly soft, feel free to add another couple of tablespoons of flour to help bind together.