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Home » Side Dishes » Potatoes » Ham and Cheese Mashed Potato Cakes

Ham and Cheese Mashed Potato Cakes

Created: April 17, 2019 Updated: November 5, 2022 by lyuba 18 Comments

15.5K shares
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These mashed potato cakes are so delicious, you will want to make mashed potatoes just to make the potato cakes. Ham, cheese, and chives is a great flavor addition for these classic potato cakes and it’s easily made within 30 minutes.

Of course, you can’t make these potato cakes without the smooth and delicious mashed potatoes. You can use our recipe for Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes or make some amazing Mashed Potatoes on stove top. 

collage with closeup of stacked potato cakes and title below.

Mashed Potato Cakes:

Why eat the same boring mashed potatoes for days after the holidays when you can make some amazing mashed potato cakes? This truly is the best way to use up leftover mashed potatoes and takes so little time and effort.

It’s is also a great way to use up leftover meat from the holiday dinner. My absolute favorite combination with mashed potatoes is ham, especially if it was glazed ham. Some of the sweetness from glazed and baked ham transfers into the mashed potato cakes and adds a pleasant touch of sweetness.  

You can just as easily use leftover turkey and/or roasted chicken too. (If you smoked your turkey, it will add some amazing smoky flavor.)

Finishing the cakes off with a whole bunch of shredded cheese is just the right touch. Gooey, melted sharp cheese is just the perfect addition to mashed potatoes and ham. You can use pre-shredded cheese or get a block and shred it yourself. Block cheese will offer more flavor options than pre-shredded. 

stack of three potato cakes cut through the middle.

Tips For The Best Potato Cakes:

ingredients for potato cakes in the mixing bowl.
scooping out mashed potato mixture with ice cream scoop.
  • Most important thing to remember is taste, taste, taste. Taste the mashed potatoes and then taste the potato cakes mixture. Since you’re combining already made mashed potatoes and ham, make sure to taste everything before adding more salt. 
  • Mashed potatoes may vary in density so if the potatoes are very soft and thin, you may need to add an extra tablespoon or two of flour to the mixture. 
  • Use an ice cream scoop to measure out the exact amount of the potato mixture so the cakes will all be the same size. 
  • I highly recommend using non-stick pan so that the soft potato cakes don’t get stuck onto the pan. It will also dramatically reduce the amount of oil needed to cook them. 
  • If your cakes are sticking to the pan, you may not have added enough oil. Add a couple of tablespoons more.
  • Always preheat the pan first, then add oil, and then add the cakes. Make sure not to move or flip them too soon, just let them cook.

Make Them Gluten Free:

This recipe is a very easy one to make gluten free with just one substitution. Simply swap the all purpose flour with gluten free all purpose flour. Remaining ingredients should already be gluten free but you will want to double check the packaging just to make sure.

You can also make this lactose free! When making mashed potatoes, use lactose free milk and plant-based butter. When it comes to cheese, make sure to use aged cheddar. Aged, harder cheeses are naturally lactose free and you can always check the packaging to make sure.

several potato cakes cooked in a pan side by side.

Serving Suggestions:

These mashed potato cakes will be great for any time of the day. Eat them for lunch, dinner, snack, and even breakfast. 

Serve them with some vegetables or a salad on a side for a simple lunch and dinner. You can even make them into sliders.

To top off mashed potato cakes, you can use sour cream or leftover gravy.  

Freezing Instructions:

To freeze mashed potato cakes, cool them first to room temperature. Cover a cutting board with parchment paper and lay potato cakes on top in one layer. Freeze for about 2 hours. (Set a timer so you don’t forget.)

Once they are frozen, transfer them into a large zip-lock freezer bag. Get all the air out of the bag and seal. Label the bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

If you wish, you can store them portioned into several smaller freezer bags, instead of one large one. Portioning them will make it easier to pull and defrost one serving at a time.

To thaw frozen potato cakes, pull the bag out of the freezer into the refrigerator and slaw-thaw overnight. 

To reheat them, you can simply place them on a plate and reheat in the microwave, covered with the plate cover.

For the best result, you will want to recreate a little crunch on the outside. Reheat them in the cooking pan over medium-low heat. Use non-stick pan that way no additional oil will be needed. 

top view of stacked mashed potato cakes on white plate.

Ham and Cheese Mashed Potato Cakes

Potato cakes is by far the best way to use up leftover mashed potatoes and ham. Ham, cheese, and chives is a great flavor addition for these potato cakes and it’s easily made within 30 minutes. 
4.80 from 10 votes
Print Pin SaveSaved! Rate
Course: dinner, lunch, Main Course, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: leftover ham, leftover potatoes, mashed potatoes, Potato, potato cakes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 6 (makes about 12)
Calories: 306kcal
Author: lyuba

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp canola oil for cooking
  • 3 cups mashed potatoes
  • 3/4 cup finely diced ham
  • 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1/4 cup minced chives
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup all purpose flour (can substitute gluten free all purpose flour)
  • salt
  • fresh cracked black pepper
US Customary – Metric

Instructions

  • Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix everything together very well, until evenly incorporated. 
  • Preheat a large, non-stick pan over medium heat and add a couple tablespoons of canola oil.
  • Use an ice cream scoop to scoop out the exact amount of mashed potato mixture so the potato cakes will all be the same size.
    Grease your hands with a little oil so you can easily shape the potato cakes. 
  • Scoop out some mashed potato mixture and form mashed potato patties with your hands.  
  • Add mashed potato patties to the pan and cook for about 5-7 minutes on each side, until golden brown. 

Nutrition

Calories: 306kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 80mg | Sodium: 347mg | Potassium: 424mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 295IU | Vitamin C: 25.2mg | Calcium: 118mg | Iron: 1.4mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @willcookforsmiles and tag #willcookforsmiles
collage of two images of mashed potato cakes stacked and cut.

LYUBA

ABOUT LYUBA

I’m Lyuba Brooke, mother of 2, the cook, recipe developer, photographer, and author behind willcookforsmiles.com. I share many classic and original recipes, cooking tips, and tutorials. My passion is sharing delicious meals for everyone to try. Read more...

15.5K shares

Filed Under: Dinner, Gluten Free, Holiday Leftover Recipes, Potatoes, Side Dishes, Snacks

All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe. Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.

Comments

  1. DR says

    April 18, 2019 at 3:44 pm

    I’ll try and bang some of these out, substituting cauliflower for the potatoes and almond flour for the all-purpose. These look so yummy.

    I really enjoy your blog!

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      April 25, 2019 at 11:44 am

      Thank you!

      Reply
  2. Karen says

    May 13, 2019 at 1:59 pm

    5 stars
    I love potato cakes and the ham and cheese makes them even better!
    Thank you 🙂

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      May 13, 2019 at 8:21 pm

      Thanks, Karen! I’m really glad you enjoyed them!

      Reply
  3. Letty says

    May 11, 2020 at 2:20 pm

    5 stars
    Loved it. This one is a keeper. Thanks for sharing your recipe. My whole family loved it.

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      May 13, 2020 at 3:28 pm

      Hi Letty,

      I am so glad everyone loved it! Thank you for taking the time to let me know, I really appreciate it! 🙂

      Reply
  4. Tillie says

    May 27, 2020 at 11:04 am

    5 stars
    Have tried these once & really liked them. Somehow ended up with a box of ” cheese instant potatoes”. Wondering what they’d be like as ham & potato cakes?? Any thoughts?

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      May 28, 2020 at 3:09 pm

      Hi Tillie,

      It would depend on the consistency of the mashed potatoes from the box. If it comes out to thin, you would have to add extra flour, and that would make the texture different. So I would suggest adding whatever liquid you use to make them a little at a time because its easier to add then take away. I hope this helps, let me know how they turn out.

      Reply
  5. James says

    June 11, 2020 at 6:23 am

    4 stars
    Seriously tasty, i added a touch of parmesan. Only complaint is seven *ucking photos to get to the recipe.

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      June 13, 2020 at 8:47 am

      Hi James,

      I am so glad you liked the recipe! In the future, you can skip the pictures by clicking “jump to recipe” under the name of the recipe at the top of the page 😉

      Reply
  6. Dan says

    November 30, 2020 at 9:44 am

    5 stars
    Very good tater cakes even without the chives! First time I’ve had em this way!

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      November 30, 2020 at 2:32 pm

      I am so glad you liked them, Dan!

      Reply
  7. Annette says

    April 19, 2022 at 12:25 pm

    These are delicious! The easiest, tastiest use of leftover Easter ham and mashed potatoes; definitely a regular in my house!

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      April 21, 2022 at 10:57 am

      Thank you, Annette! Glad you like them! 🙂

      Reply
  8. Pam says

    December 26, 2022 at 10:50 pm

    Absolutely loved the potato pancakes. Even my pickiest eater commented on how good they were. I definitely will make them again.

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      January 3, 2023 at 12:35 pm

      So glad you liked it!

      Reply
  9. Gail says

    December 29, 2022 at 9:21 pm

    5 stars
    These were excellent. I did add more seasoning to suit our family taste and served with sour cream on the side.
    Definitely will make again

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      January 3, 2023 at 12:12 pm

      So glad you liked them!

      Reply

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Well, hey there!

I’m Lyuba Brooke, mother of 2, the cook, recipe developer, photographer, and author behind willcookforsmiles.com. I share many classic and original recipes, cooking tips, and tutorials. My passion is sharing delicious meals for everyone to try. Read More.

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