Good morning! Yes, it is Monday, but that’s no reason not to smile! This morning is going to be amazing with the Monday Mash-Up breakfast! These little golden-brown patties of crisp goodness make use of all those leftover mashed potatoes in the fridge, stuffing them with succulent bacon and melty cheese and then pan-frying them. Other breakfast potatoes wish they had the flavor or the appeal of this Monday Mash-Up! So, hooray for Monday, or for any day you make these quick and easy treats!
Ingredients
- 6 strips bacon
- 1/2 cup white onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 cups mashed potatoes, cooked and cold
- 1 cup cheese, of your choice, shredded, plus more, to taste, for topping
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped, or 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped, or 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 cup flour
- 4 tablespoons butter or margarine, for frying
- sour cream, optional, to taste, for topping
- scallions, optional, to taste, sliced, for topping
Directions
Step 1 –In a large skillet, fry the bacon over medium heat until crispy, about 8 minutes.
Step 2 –Drain the bacon on paper towels. Once the bacon is cool, crumble it.
Step 3 –Drain the frying pan, reserving 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings.
Step 4 –Add the onion and the garlic to the bacon drippings and sauté over medium heat until translucent, about 5 minutes.
Step 5 –In a medium bowl, combine the crumbled bacon, the cooked onion mixture, the mashed potatoes, 1 cup of the cheese, the basil, the parsley, the eggs, the salt, and the pepper. Make sure to mix well.
Step 6 –Add the flour a little at a time, as needed, until the mixture can hold its shape and the potato cakes are able to stick together, but without the mixture being too sticky. You may not need to use all of the flour.
Step 7 –Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a clean skillet over medium heat.
Step 8 –Scoop about 1/4 cup of the potato mixture and form it into a ball.
Step 9 –Place the potato ball on the hot pan and flatten it with a spatula until it’s about 1/2-3/4-inch in thickness.
Step 10 –Repeat the frying process with the remaining butter and the remaining potato mixture, cooking in batches and frying each patty until golden-brown and crisp, about 3-4 minutes per side.
Step 11 –Serve immediately and top with the extra cheese, the sour cream, and the scallions.
