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These easy Mini Spinach and Herb Potato Cakes are so flavorful! They are an easy side dish recipe perfect for a holiday dinner or quick and easy weeknight meal! Yellow potatoes are boiled, mashed, and then mixed with a combination of cooked spinach, herbs, and cheese, and fried to perfection.
Yesterday hit 100 degrees, and it’s about as depressing as it gets.
It really puts a damper on the whole ‘spirit of fall’ thing.
Obviously, I’m a huge fan of the fall season, so the heat doesn’t stop me from whipping out all the harvest candles, pulling out the pumpkin (ahem, this Pecan Pumpkin Coffee Cake & Pumpkin Spice Cracker Toffee), and drinking maple lattes like they’re going out of style.
However, it sure would be a lot more fun if I were doing this in a sweater and boots rather than a tank and flip flops.
Despite the fact the weather isn’t cooperating (and given the weather report for the next week, it probably won’t be cooperating for a while), I’ve still been craving fall-ish meals.
In the fall and winter, I tend to crave warm, hearty meals full of herbs and rich flavors. I find the meals incredibly comforting, as they remind me of the upcoming holiday season and the meals we share with friends and family.
I have always loved potatoes. I would take them baked, fried, mashed, and roasted. I’d take them plain, with toppings, or even with a dipping sauce on the side. While I’ll eat potatoes any time of the year, I particularly love them during this time of year. They fit the bill of warm, hearty, and full of flavor (as mentioned earlier). 😉
These potato cakes begin with yellow potatoes. What I love about yellow potatoes is their texture and flavor. They’re velvety, moist, and slightly sweet, which make them a great choice for these potato cakes.
Yellow potatoes, which have a yellow/golden hue both inside and outside, are great for mashed potatoes. When mashed, they have a very naturally creamy texture, which means you do not need to use as much butter in the recipe. In fact, this recipe does not use any butter at all (and you would not even know it!).
This recipe is super simple and incredibly convenient as well. It only takes a few household ingredients to whip up this side dish! These yellow potatoes are boiled and mashed, then mixed with cooked spinach, cheese, a blend of herbs, a little bit of bread crumbs, an egg (for binding) and a touch of milk, and finally fried in just a bit of oil.
For more information on these yellow potatoes and other potato types, head on over to Potato Goodness! Check out their Facebook page for more recipe ideas as well! There are unlimited recipe possibilities with potatoes! 🙂
On a final note…
Mini food is pretty cute, and cute food just tastes better. 😜
- 3-4 yellow potatoes, about 2 cups of potatoes when mashed
- 2 cups fresh spinach
- 3 Tbsp milk
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (I used mozzarella, but you could use any cheese)
- 3/4 tsp ground pepper
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
- olive oil, for frying (I used about 2 Tbsp per batch of potato cakes)
- sour cream, for topping
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Cut yellow potatoes into quarters and boil until fork tender (about 10 minutes or so). Drain, and cool.
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(I kept the skin on the potatoes, because I don't mind it; however, you are more than welcome to peel the potatoes before boiling.)
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In a small pan, cover and cook spinach over low heat until it has wilted (about 3-4 minutes), stirring every so often.
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In a bowl, mash potatoes with a fork or potato masher. Add in spinach, milk, cheese, pepper, and herbs. Mix until well combined. Add in the egg and breadcrumbs, and mix until combined.
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In a medium sized pan, heat a couple Tbsp of olive oil over med-low heat.
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To make the mini potato cakes, spoon 2 Tbsp of potatoes (per potato cake) into the oil (I make about 4-5 at a time). Flatten the potatoes into a circle (about 1/4-1/2" thick) and cook about 2 minutes per side.
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Continue (adding more olive oil to the pan as needed) until you are out of potatoes.
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For best results, serve immediately. Top with sour cream, if desired.
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Enjoy!
Becky says
Thanks for this recipe, I’ve been wondering how to dress up potato cakes, I make them when I have left over mashed potatoes, but have been getting bored with them lately!
Michelle says
You’re welcome! If you try this out, hope you like them! 🙂