These Leftover Mashed Potato Croquettes are a perfect and delicious way to use up your leftover mashed potatoes during the busy holiday season!

These little fry balls are perfect served at your after after holiday party or just to snack on. These potato croquettes are a great way to use up your Thanksgiving leftover mashed potatoes! And if you’re not a fan of frying, I have a feeling they would do well in the air fryer!

What are croquettes?

So what is a croquette? It’s a small breadcrumbed and fried food thing, the thing usually being potatoes, meat, fish, macaroni, cheese, whatever. Today that thing is Leftover Mashed Potato Croquettes!

Ingredients For Mashed Potato Croquettes

With only 7 ingredients, these spinach croquettes couldn’t be easier!

Spinach: Always need a little veggies with cheese and potatoes! I recommend fresh spinach.
Mashed Potatoes: The star ingredient! Mashed potatoes are the perfect binding ingredient for these croquettes to mix with eggs and cheese.
Parmesan: I like to use parmesan with this because it is slightly nutty which matches perfectly with the bright spinach.
Flour: Croquettes require flour to ensure they stay together when fried. I prefer to use all-purpose flour to minimize the flavor impact.
Eggs: Another binding ingredient (can you tell we really want these to stay together?). We need eggs both for the inside mixture and for the exterior crunch.
Breadcrumbs: These are what makes the crunch! I use pre-made panko breadcrumbs but you could make your own or use a different kind.
Oil: To fry in, duh!

How To Make Leftover Mashed Potato Croquettes

These simple fried potato balls only take a few steps and a few minutes to come together! So grab those leftover mashed potatoes and let’s get rolling!

Step 1: Spinach
Heat a dash of oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add spinach and cook, stirring often, until spinach has reduced in size, about 3 minutes. Remove from pan and roughly chop spinach.

Step 2: Stir
In a large mixing bowl, combine spinach, mashed potatoes, parmesan, 1 tablespoon of flour, and 2 of the egg yolks (reserve egg whites for next step).

Step 3: Prep Station
Prepare a work station by whisking the 2 remaining egg whites and 1 remaining whole egg in a bowl, placing ½ cup of flour in a separate bowl, placing breadcrumbs in a separate bowl, and placing a clean plate at the end.

Step 4: Oil
Heat oil in a deep pan or deep fat fryer to about 350ºF (176ºC), ensuring oil level will be high enough to completely cover the croquettes.

Step 5: Roll
Working in batches using a fork or tongs, dip each ball into the flour, then the egg, let excess drip off, then roll in breadcrumbs. Set on a plate until ready to f

Step 6: Fry
Working in batches, transfer croquettes to the hot oil using metal tongs, cooking for 5 to 6 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy. Transfer finished croquettes to a wire rack. Serve immediately.

Recipe Tips

How to make mashed potatoes? You can either peel, cut and boil the potatoes and then mash or bake or microwave in the skin with holes poked into the potatoes and then mash.

Storage: If you have any of these tasty bites left, they can be stored in the fridge in a sealed container for 3 days. When ready to enjoy again, you can reheat in the oven or air fryer until heated through.

More Ways To Enjoy Potatoes

You can never have enough potatoes in your life. Whether it be gnocchi, soup, or roasted, potatoes have so many uses. Here are just a few of my favorites!

Rosemary Roasted Potatoes is a much more classic take on potatoes. These are simple to make and super crispy making them delicious for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Potato Leek Soup is super creamy thanks to potatoes! Whip this up for the week ahead or on a cold snowy day.
Mashed Potato Truffles are another fun way to use leftover mashed potatoes! Try one of the three tasty flavors and be amazed!