We all need to stretch our budgets in 2021 and potatoes have served as the quintessential budget filler, figuratively and literally. A friend shared with me that when she immigrated to the US, her mother used to put whipped potatoes into heavily buttered cupcake pans, with a tiny piece of beef stuffed in the middle to ensure that she, as child, was getting a hot meal and a protein. One of my grandparents’ favorite during the Depression was fried potato cakes. I have come up with my own favorite, which stretches the 2021 budget and saves on essential kitchen time. Try Kelly’s Mashed Potato Cakes for a quick fix to a savory side starch. It is great during cold weather, also. First, prepare an increased quantity of mashed potatoes so that you have left overs. The classic dish is comprised of boiled and drained potatoes which are heavily beaten with butter, milk, salt, and pepper. You will have a batch for that evening and just refrigerate the remaining portion. When you are ready to prepare the mashed potato cakes, prepare a heat-proof pan by covering the bottom with parchment paper. This is necessary to remove the cakes from the pan. Next, dollop the cakes onto the parchment paper and shape the cakes with your hands. Then, sprinkle on fresh cracked black pepper and paprika. Bake the cakes in the oven at 350⁰F for about 20 minutes, until thoroughly hot. It’s a reinvention of a classic favorite, soon to become your family’s new favorite. Enjoy © Kelly McBride Loft