I had a quantity of mashed potatoes leftover from a weekend meal. I was loathe to waste them but, as I have written before, leftovers per se are not always appealing.
I am a big proponent of repurposing leftovers to create new and delicious dishes, and this potato cake does just that. The key to the repurposing technique is to use the leftover item but change its flavor and appearance to trick the palate and the diners into experiencing a new dish.
By adding yogurt, egg, scallions and fresh dill to the mash, and then baking the mixture in a pie plate, I produced a crispy and delicious side, which could have even been a main vegetarian dish.
Here’s what I did:
Mashed Potato Cake
Serves 4 as a side, 2 as a main
- 3 cups leftover mashed potatoes
- ½ cup plain yogurt
- 1 egg
- 2 scallions, white and green part, snipped into thin pieces
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh dill
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Oil for pie pan
Heat your oven to 400 degrees. Generously oil a glass pie plate on the bottom and sides.
In a medium-sized bowl, mix all the ingredients.
Spread the mixture into an oiled pie plate, and drizzle a bit of additional oil over the top.
Bake it in the oven for about 30 minutes until crisp. Cut the cake into wedges and serve.
