Name: Mexican Mashed Potato Cakes with Avocado Sauce & Cotija Cheese
Yield: 0
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 3 -4 cups leftover mashed potatoes; 3 eggs, lightly beaten; ½ t salt and freshly ground black pepper; 1 ear fresh corn, kernels removed; ½ poblano pepper, small dice; 1 jalapeno, minced; 8 ounces cotija cheese, crumbled (plus ? cup more for topping); ¼ cup chopped cilantro; 1 avocado; 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped; 2 T mayonnaise; juice of ½ lime; 2 T adobo sauce, from a can of chipotle; ½ t salt

Jump straight to the recipe here (but you'll miss a lot of good info)!

These Mexican Mashed Potato Cakes with Avocado Sauce & Cotija Cheese are perfect party food or a light dinner! A great way to use up leftover potatoes, too.

Mashed potato cakes are one of my favorite things to make. Anytime I can use my leftovers to make something just as tasty as the original dish, I get excited. Mashed potato cakes are a favorite because you can flavor them with almost anything and they’ll taste great. Last week I made Farmer’s Market Salad with Goat Cheese Mashed Potato Cakes for an elegant appetizer salad, side or light lunch. These mashed potato cakes are more of an appetizer but could also be an upscale side dish for an Mexican-themed meal. Both mashed potato cake recipes combine fresh ingredients from the Farmer’s Market with leftover mashed potatoes (or pick up a package of Simply Potatoes) to create a quick, healthy & yummy dish!

To make these mashed potato cakes as an appetizer, you’ll want to make smaller patties that are about an inch across, then dollop with about a teaspoon of avocado sauce and some crumbled cotija cheese. Be sure your mashed potato cakes are nicely browned, as they hold together best that way.

Mexican Mashed Potato Cakes with Avocado Sauce & Cotija Cheese

Yield: 0

Tips for preparing the patties:
Well-browned patties hold together the best. If they’re not browned enough they won’t hold together as well, so be sure they’re a golden-to-dark brown.
Smaller patties are much easier to flip than the larger versions. If you have trouble flipping the larger ones, don’t panic. They may fall apart when you flip them but just reform them with the spatula. You may have to flip them several times before they’re nicely browned, then slide them out of the pan onto the plate.
Be sure your pan is fully preheated to ensure they brown easily.

Ingredients

3 -4 cups leftover mashed potatoes
3 eggs, lightly beaten
½ t salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 ear fresh corn, kernels removed
½ poblano pepper, small dice
1 jalapeno, minced
8 ounces cotija cheese, crumbled (plus ? cup more for topping)
¼ cup chopped cilantro
1 avocado
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
2 T mayonnaise
juice of ½ lime
2 T adobo sauce, from a can of chipotle
½ t salt

Instructions

In a medium mixing bowl, thoroughly combine mashed potatoes, eggs, salt and pepper. Mix in corn, poblano and jalapeno peppers, cheese and cilantro. Place back in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to chill.
Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Add a T olive oil to hot pan and, using a spoon, drop one large spoonful (about half a cup) into pan and spread out into a thin circle using the back of the spoon. Continue this step until you have 3-4 large patties in your skillet (depends on size of your pan). Allow to brown well, then flip (see tips, above). Continue to allow patties to brown on both sides, then slide out of pan and onto individual salad plates (the patties can be served hot or at room temperature). Repeat with remaining potato mixture until it’s gone (you should have approximately 10 patties), adding additional olive oil to the pan as needed. (To make as appetizers, make 1-inch patties, be sure to brown well so they hold together when picked up).
For sauce: In a food processor (I use a hand blender, it works great) pulse together all remaining ingredients until smooth. Set aside.
Place patties on serving dish or individual plates. Top with avocado sauce and crumbled cotija cheese. (Halved cherry tomatoes or salsa are also delicious!)

Author
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Kristy Bernardo

Kristy Bernardo is the recipe creator behind The Wicked Noodle. She's a five-time cookbook author, has taught cooking classes to both kids and adults, and has been creating recipes for nationwide brands since 2009. She learned most of her cooking skills from her mom and grandmother, then honed those skills at boot camp at the Culinary Institute of America.

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