Reviewed: Sep. 8, 2009

Instant (chunky) mashed potatoes will work, but I have to add a caveat...form them into balls and roll into bread crumbs. (will be messy) Place them on a cookie sheet covered with wax paper and place them in the freezer for about 40 minutes. They will retain their shape during frying this way. Drain on brown paper and keep warm in the oven. (about 180 degrees)My dinner guests just raved about them! - I also used some fresh parmesan for the cheese-lesser amount- and omitted the bacon. Went well with the salmon .

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Sammy

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada

Living In: Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

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Reviewed: Aug. 20, 2009

These were awesome - but I did make a few changes as well. I left out the cheese as I am allergic, skipped the bacon, and added some Nature's Blend seasoning mix. The other change I made was quite by accident but worked out great - I added the breadcrumbs to the mix instead of rolling on the outside. This actually helped keep them together while frying. My husband and I fought over the last few bites!

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Natasha

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Bellevue, Washington, USA

Living In: Olympia, Washington, USA

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Reviewed: Jan. 5, 2009

These are very tasty but did fall apart. I should have read the comments before I made them! I halved the recipe, added some garlic and onion powder, left out the bacon and used parmesan in the mix and also mixed in with the bread crumbs. Next time I will add some flour and try the Panko instead of bread crumbs. I love panko - it makes such a beautiful crust. My daughter loved these and I will definitely make again.

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lunch lady

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Clarkdale, Arizona, USA

Living In: Tucson, Arizona, USA

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Reviewed: Nov. 29, 2008

I made these with leftover Thanksgiving mashed potatoes. They were ok. I wouldn't go out of my way to make them but I'd make again if I had leftover potatoes.

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KRISTYLEE3

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA

Living In: Hellertown, Pennsylvania, USA

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Reviewed: Nov. 13, 2008

One hint!!!- put the mashed potatoes with the other ingredients half an hour in the freezer before making into forms.You'll make perfect croquettes on this way.It's no difference if you make the croquettes from potatoes or instant mix .A variation without bacon and onions and only with a little bit of nutmeg and fresh chopped parsley is delicious!

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polina

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Reviewed: Oct. 19, 2008

I had this in my recipe box for years before I tried it. I already had cheddar cheese in my mashed potatoes and fresh chives, and no bacon. Fried them in olive oil. They came out great, yummy, and very tasty... But alot of work.(standing over the stove frying...ughh!) I'll only make them for a special occasion.

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Ang'snewkitchn

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Roslyn, New York, USA

Living In: Bay Shore, New York, USA

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Reviewed: Sep. 27, 2008

I found that the original potato mix was quite bland, so I added garlic salt and cheese and let them set a day or two in the fridge (by the time I got back to making them) the flavor had GREATLY improved. Also I did not have romano so I used parmesan. I cooked them in the oven and since they weren't as crisp as I'd like after 8 mins on each side on 450, I broiled them for a few minutes on each side afterwards. On each side of the patties, I added a bit more shredded cheddar and garlic salt before broiling. We then dipped them in ranch. Yum! They were a little work, but if I happen to have leftover potatoes, I'd make them again.

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Sarah

Cooking Level: Intermediate

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Reviewed: May 29, 2008

I used real bacon, made my own bread crumbs from Italian bread, then added chopped green onions (scallions). I also added a pinch of oregano and thyme and that did the trick!!

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Chris in Montreal

Home Town: Montreal, Quebec, Canada

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Reviewed: May 19, 2008

I tried the baking method suggested elsewhere (can't make myself fry with all that oil!), and they were only ok. Probably something I did wrong, changing the recipe around, but I don't think I'll try them again.

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danielle_schofield

Cooking Level: Beginning

Home Town: San Lorenzo, California, USA

Living In: Singapore, Central Region, Singapore

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Reviewed: Mar. 12, 2008

Realy nice way to use up left over mashed potatos...still gotta a lot of them left though... boys just don eat like they used to lol. awsum with sourcream!

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Ashi Meessir

Cooking Level: Intermediate

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Reviewed: Feb. 5, 2008

Great use of leftover mashed potatoes. I used real onions instead of powder. Kept together fine for me. Much better than the typical plain old potato pancakes.

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Julie B.

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Louisville, Kentucky, USA

Living In: Evansville, Indiana, USA

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Reviewed: Jan. 21, 2008

I used ham instead of bacon, and it was okay. I'll follow the recipe next time.

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mika707

Cooking Level: Intermediate

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Reviewed: Nov. 8, 2007

Very good recipe, although next time I will omit the salt as the cheese added a good amount (based on other reviews, I used romano and cheddar). I also used minced fresh onion instead of dried and baked the croquettes at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes on each side. I sprayed them with a little olive oil before putting them in the oven, and they turned out nice and crispy without all the extra grease. I will definitely make these again!

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bluebeetle

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Reviewed: Jun. 2, 2007

My husbands left over mashed potatos were definately too watery. Not the greatest, but did leave out the bacon.. used parmesan AND cheddar... not great, would try to change it up a bit. Did use panko bread crumbs.. like them better.

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Jennifer

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Washago, Ontario, Canada

Living In: Freedom, California, USA

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Reviewed: Mar. 3, 2007

So glad I found a way to use leftover mashed potatoes. I had no romano or bacon bits, so I added shredded mexican blend cheese and parsley. I used a lot less oil than the recipe calls for (personal preference) and the croquettes still came out delicious. Thanks for a great recipe that's also very versitile to ingredient changes.

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RAYANDLILI

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Reviewed: Apr. 1, 2006

Delicious! I have finally found a potato pancake recipe that we really enjoyed! I had to use some potato flakes to thicken the mixture up some - they would not form into patties otherwise. Don't forget to add a little more Romano cheese to compensate. I did not have any bacon bits so I used real bacon. Served with sour cream. FABULOUS! Thanks!

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BABSKITCHEN

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Cleveland, Ohio, USA

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Reviewed: Jan. 15, 2006

Added more cheese and some flour to the potatoes as some had suggested. Used Panko crumbs instead of regular so that they turned out nice and crispy on the outside. Will make again---will try with sharp cheddar next time. 4 cups of potatoes made too much for 4 servings--will cut in half next time.

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Chris Kimball Fan

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Saint Charles, Missouri, USA

Living In: Saint Peters, Missouri, USA

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Reviewed: Sep. 6, 2004

Absolutely the best potato cakes I have ever made. My family loved them. I added fried bacon instead of bacon bits and mixed cheese. The bread crumbs made all the difference. I usually have issues with my potato cakes falling apart when I made them in the past. I also made about a 2" ball with the potatoes and rolled it in the bread crumbs and flattened them slightly. The size seemed to also make a difference. I added a bit of flour to the potatoes to make them stiffer and easier to work with. They were a huge hit with both ketchup and ranch dressing. Will make them everytime we have leftover mashed potatoes.

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DARK89

Cooking Level: Expert

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Reviewed: May 24, 2004

My family really enjoyed these. I did make a few changes though. I only had parmesan cheese so I made half with parmesan and half with cheddar. I thought they were great either way, my kids liked the ones with cheddar better. Definitely make the potatoes more firm then you normally would so they'll hold together better. I also made them about the size of a half dollar so they would be crispier and served with ketchup and sour cream. Will definitely make these again. Thanks Peter.

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MAMALISSA

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Reviewed: May 22, 2004

Great recipe! I used instant pototoes and they turned out fine. I made the potatoes a little thicker than normal. A few fell apart a little in the oil but not too bad. I also substituted finely shredded chedder for the romano in half and parmeson in the other. The ones with chedder went over the best. I will definetly make these again. Next time I will try using fresh potatoes instead of instant. Edit 1/1/6. I've made these many more times since posting this review. My family loves them. Whenever we make mashed potatoes we make extra so we will have extra for croquettes. Since the first time we have always used real mashed potatoes and they turn out much better.

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