Mashed Potato Pancakes with Caramelized Onion and Gruyere

Mashed potato pancakes are always a family favorite in my house and a terrific way to use up some leftover mashed potatoes. I had a hankering for some caramelized onions, so I decided to make some potato pancakes with caramelized onions and Gruyère cheese. Simple. Easy. AMAZING. We devoured these potato pancakes along with a big Caesar salad and some crusty bread for dinner on a recent busy weeknight. We all thought they were amazing and wished we had more!

Mashed Potato Pancakes with Caramelized Onion and Gruyere

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp butter, divided
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• Leaves from 1 sprig of fresh thyme
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• 2½ cups of mashed potatoes
• ⅔ cup Gruyère cheese, shredded
• 1 small egg, beaten
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• ¼ cup + 2 tbsp flour, divided
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil + 1 tbsp butter divided, more if needed

Serving:

• Sour cream
• Green onions, chopped (or snipped chives)

How to Make Mashed Potato Pancakes with Caramelized Onion and Gruyere

Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium heat.

Add the yellow onion to the skillet along with the leaves from one sprig of fresh thyme, and cook, stirring often and adding a little water if they start to run dry, for 30 minutes, or until caramelized. Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Remove from the heat.

In a large bowl, mix the mashed potatoes and caramelized onions until well combined.

Add the shredded Gruyere cheese, whisked egg, and 2 tablespoons of flour, fresh parsley, and season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste; mix well.

Using your hands, divide the mixture into equal portions.

Roll each portion into a compact ball, then flatten into a pancake about a ½-inch thick. I made 11 pancakes out of my mixture.

Place the remaining ¼ cup of flour on a shallow plate and season with a bit of sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.

Lightly dredge each side of the potato pancake in the flour.

Heat 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil plus 2 teaspoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat.

Add the potato pancakes, in batches, until they’re golden brown and crispy on both sides, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil and 2 teaspoons of butter to the pan for the second batch.

Transfer the pancakes to a paper towel-lined plate to cool a bit before serving.

Serve the potato pancakes topped with sour cream and chopped green onions.

Side Note: Don’t crowd the pan while cooking, and don’t flip the pancakes too soon, so they won’t develop a yummy crispy crust!