Our Blog

Get the latest from our blog. Food, drink and cooking with people who love food.

Breakfast Mashed Potatoes

Potato Cakes are extremely popular treats in the UK, much more so than they have elsewhere in the world. A Potato Cake is also called a Blintze in the UK, in that it is made from mashed potatoes (or “blintzes”) and yeast bread. The term “potato” itself is taken from the German word ” Kopi”, which means “dough”. So the term actually comes from the first ingredient, potato.

There are literally thousands of different types of potato cakes in the US alone, many of which can be ordered online and delivered to your door. You can get a Blintze, English Muffin, Belgian Blue, Canadian bacon, Country Style, French Vanilla, Irish Cream, Hungarian Radzia, Mexican Cocoa, San Francisco Bay, Sunny York and Caribbean Coconut among others. But my favourite is the potato casserole. It can be topped with any number of ingredients, from fresh tomatoes, onions, herbs, cheese, butter, mushrooms, olives, curry, mayonnaise, cream, margarine, blue cheese, and more. You could even top it with powdered chicken – which is my secret.

There are two basic ways to make mashed potato cakes – using the “potato mix” or flour for the crust or using regular flour to make the crumble. Most British potato cakes are made using the potato mix because it holds the shape better when baking. You don’t have to use all the flour – a few packets will work just fine. I prefer the packet mix because I find it easier to control the consistency of the finished cake. If you choose to use the regular flour, carefully mix in about half the cup.

In addition to the ingredients above, there are also many different ways to add variety to potato cakes. Traditional ingredients include garlic, bacon, cheese, sausage, onions, mushrooms, peppers, cream, ketchup, honey and barbecue sauce. And the list goes on. For a real twist on a classic potato cake, drizzle melted sour cream over the top with chopped peaches, pears, cherries or other fruit.

My husband and I like to make a small batch of potato cakes for breakfast on our way to work in the morning. We usually put the leftovers in a zip lock bag and freeze them until we get to work. By the time we get to work, the cakes are warm and ready to serve. And the great thing about mashed cakes for breakfast is that you can vary the ingredients and experiment with your own concoction – if you’re creative and daring.

Another way to make an interesting and unique breakfast is to make a roux out of leftover mashed potatoes. Heat some water and mix in one tablespoon of butter and a little bit of brown sugar. Stir, let the mixture boil and add extra flour if desired. Roll out the mixture and cut into small pieces, and serve hot.

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn