Quick and Easy Instant Mashed Potato Pancake Recipe

When my husband and I eat fresh potatoes (which is always), we cook them in a Microwave Potato Bag similar to this one for four minutes and then pop them in the toaster oven to crisp the skin while the rest of dinner cooks on the stove because we generally don’t have the time to bake potatoes old school in the oven.  Mashed potatoes are pretty much off the table due to my severe dairy intolerance because let’s face it loads of butter and cream is what makes mashed potatoes taste like heaven. (Disclosure: I am including affiliate links in this post for your convenience)

Which is why my husband was baffled first time he found a box of instant mashed potatoes in the kitchen. Why do we have this when we have real potatoes?

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Simple. Instant mashed potatoes are my all time favorite comfort food. I have loved them since the first time I had them on a camping trip as a kid and even more so growing up because it is the only time my mother has not screwed up making mashed potatoes. She hates to cook so well…let’s just say I learned to cook by a lifetime of experiencing what not to do in the kitchen.

And on the practical side, instant mashed potatoes are a fantastic gluten free substitute if you need to thicken something. They are also easy to make dairy free by swapping the milk and butter for dairy free versions. But best of all instant mashed potatoes are the easiest way to make never fail potato pancakes – another comfort food favorite.

My potato pancakes always come out perfectly because I make them in a waffle iron!
Yes it’s true. You can make potatoes pancakes in a waffle iron, which frankly is the best way to make sure the pancake is cooked all of the way through without burning it. Here’s how.

How to Make Never Fail Mashed Potato Pancakes in a Waffle Maker

You will need:

1 1/3 Cup of instant potato flakes

1 1/3  Cup of water

1/2 Teaspoon of salt

2 Tablespoons of butter (or your favorite butter substitute)

2/3 Cup of milk (or your favorite milk substitute)

1/4 Cup of flour


Optional: Chopped green onions, chives, red paper flakes, or sour cream topping. I usually leave these out and keep it simple but I know some of you instant it isn’t a real potato pancake unless it is served with a dollop of sour cream on top.

Serves four people

Step by Step How to Make this Recipe

1. Make the instant mashed potatoes according to the directions on the package. Basically this comes down to heating the water, salt and butter in a pot on the stove until it boils. Removing the pot from the stove and stirring to combine it with the milk and mashed potato flakes until it looks like a pot of mashed potatoes.

2.  Stir to combine the flour into the mashed potatoes. We need the flour to act as a binder to keep our potato pancake mixture together in the waffle maker.

3. Optional: add the green onion, pepper, etc. to the batter. I keep it simple and leave this out.

4. Plug in the waffle maker and grease it if necessary. I make my own cooking spray for times like this by pouring my own oil into an olive oil spray mister like this one. I've also used a pastry brush (a pastry brush looks like this.)

5. When the waffle maker is ready (mine has a ready light similar to this Belgian waffle maker) scoop the potato pancake batter in the waffle maker and close the lid.

6. Allow the waffle maker to thoroughly cook the potato pancake. My waffle iron has a light that indicates when the potato pancake waffles are ready.

7. Remove the potato pancake (which I suppose is a technically a potato waffles) from the waffle maker, put it on a plate, top it with your favorite topping (butter, sour cream, salt, pepper, what have you) and EAT!

Looking for more comfort food cooking? Check out the following ideas – and more! – below!


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