Bubble and Squeak is a British recipe that combines mashed potatoes with cooked leftover vegetables and meat into a pan fried taste sensation. This is an excellent way to use up little bits of leftover vegetables and meat. They are crispy potato cakes filled with delicious goodies. Or enjoy them with Sunday’s roast dinner.
Breakfast is mine and hubby’s favorite meal of the day. What’s not to love about breakfast? I love to serve these with Fruit Salad, Irish Cream Chocolate Coffee and eggs over easy.
Why this recipe works!
- These delectable potato cakes are both easy and delicious making them perfect for any meal. Serve with eggs and bacon for a hearty breakfast. For lunch serve with Sausage Gravy ladled over the top and for dinner serve with Pan Fried Chicken with Cream Gravy.
- This is a great way to use up those little bits of leftover cooked vegetables and meat that are hanging out in your refrigerator before they go bad. Or use it for leftovers from Christmas and Thanksgiving.
- Because this recipe is so darn easy even a new cook or teenager can learn how to make this. There are no special techniques or ingredients required.
How to make Bubble and Squeak
Start by cooking and mashing about 1 pound of potatoes. Do not add anything just mash them with an old fashioned potato masher. You can also use leftover mashed potatoes but you might need to add a little flour to them. If you don’t have any leftover cooked veggies and meat in the fridge than cut some up and cook in a skillet with a little oil.
Then combine the cooked ingredients with the mashed potatoes in a large bowl. Now form the mixture into patties and fry them up in a hot skillet with a little oil. For ease in flipping them, first brown the bottom, then carefully invert to a plate, then scoot the patties off the plate into the hot skillet to brown the other side. Serve promptly while crisp and hot.
Recipe notes and helpful tips
- For vegetables try carrots, cabbage, kale, brussels sprouts, onion, or peas. For meat try cooked ham, bacon, sausage, or even leftover roast. If the meat and vegetables are not cooked then grab that skillet and cook them up.
- Finely chop all the vegetables and meat.
- Use vegetable or canola oil and get your pan fairly hot for a good crispy outer edge.
- Leftover mashed potatoes work well but you might need to add several tablespoons of flour depending on how much milk and butter were added to them.
- For ease in flipping, first brown the bottom, then carefully invert to a plate, then scoot the patties off the plate into the hot skillet to brown the other side. Another option is to invert the potato cake right into another hot skillet.
- If desired top with fresh thyme and crispy cooked bacon.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Heat in a skillet over medium heat or microwave.
- Irish Colcannon is a similar dish from Ireland that combines leftover mashed potatoes with cooked cabbage.
Other potato recipes to try!
Bubble and Squeak
Ingredients
- 1 lb mashed potatoes about 2 cups
- 3 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
- 1 small carrot finely chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped cabbage
- 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
- 1/4 cup chopped collard greens or kale
- 1/4 cup chopped ham
- Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
- 2 slices crispy cooked bacon chopped
- fresh thyme leaves
Instructions
- If using fresh mashed potatoes. Peel and cut your potatoes in chunks. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are tender; about 15 minutes. Drain well and mash with a hand held potato masher.
- Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add carrots, cabbage, onions, and collard greens and cook for several minutes stirring several times. Add the ham and cook until the vegetables are soft. Cool for just a couple of minutes.
- Stir the potatoes and cooked vegetable mixture together. Season with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste.
- Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in skillet over medium. Shape the mixture into 4 equal patties. Fry them up 2 at a time in the skillet. Let them get golden brown on the bottom before inverting onto a plate. Then gently push them off back into the hot skillet to brown the other side. Heat remaining tablespoon oil in skillet before adding second batch. If desired you can make 2 large patties.
- Garnish with chopped bacon and fresh thyme leaves.
- For best results serve promptly.
Notes
- For vegetables try carrots, cabbage, kale, onion, or peas. For meat try cooked ham, bacon, sausage, or even pork roast. If the meat and vegetables are not cooked then grab that skillet and cook them up.
- Finely chop all the vegetables and meat.
- Use vegetable or canola oil and get your pan fairly hot for a good crispy outer edge.
- Leftover mashed potatoes work well but you might need to add several tablespoons of flour depending on how much milk and butter were added to them.
- For ease in flipping, first brown the bottom, then carefully invert to a plate, then scoot the patties off the plate into the hot skillet to brown the other side. Another option is to invert the potato cake right into another hot skillet.
- If desired top with fresh thyme and crispy cooked bacon.
Nutrition
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Jen Shwartz
My old roommate made these for me years ago and I fell in love! This is a great recipe!
Biana
Love this way to use up meat and veggies! A perfect delicious leftovers dinner.
Anjali
What a fun way to use up leftover veggies and potatoes in my fridge!! I hadn’t heard of bubble and squeak before I came across your recipe but I’m so glad I tried it! These little patties were delicious!
Sandhya
Bubble and Squeak is one of our favorite ways to use any leftover veg… Makes a delicious weekend breakfast !
Mahy
Interesting how hard it is to find a dish that you have never tried before these days. This is definitely one of them, and I am very excited to try it!
Toni
This is so perfect! Such a great use for leftover mashed potatoes!
Jen
This was so delicious and my kids got a kick out of the name. Thanks for helping me makeover my leftovers.
Michelle
Such a delicious way to use up leftovers — love the recipe!
Beth Sachs
Ah, the taste of my childhood, and considering I live in the UK I don’t make bubble and squeak often enough! Great recipe.
Allyssa
Love this recipe! Thanks a lot for this! it’s perfect for leftovers!
Sandra
This is such a great side dish!! I love that it is easy to make and tastes really good!
Cathy
Yum! This is such a great way to use leftovers!
Catalina
Everything with mashed potatoes is even more tasty! A must try recipe for sure!
Erin | Dinners,Dishes and Dessert
I know for sure this Bubble and Squeak would be a huge hit in my house!
Jen
I love not having leftovers go to waste and this was the perfect way to change them up and eat them. The kids got a kick out of the name. Thanks!
Amanda Livesay
The best way to use mashed potatoes! So delicious!