Use leftover potatoes and seasonal vegetables to make this fall bubble and squeak with garlic mushrooms and a fried egg.
Living in South Carolina, I never change out my wardrobe since we can get heat waves any time of year. But I do change out our menu. Buh-bye crisp salads, summer fruits and juicy tomatoes. Hello cozy soups, roasted brussels sprouts and potato everything.
One of my favorite things about potatoes is their versatility. When I saw potato, you’re probably think mashed potatoes, baked potatoes or fries. But there’s a whole world of possibility out there! Potatoes have been a major staple in South American cuisine for thousands of years, and since being introduced to the rest of the world, they’ve become one of the most consumed foods worldwide. 
No where is that more true than in Europe, where they have a major love affair with the spud. In Spain, potatoes are sliced thin, fried in olive oil and cooked with custardy eggs to make a Spanish tortilla. In Ireland, potatoes are mashed with kale to make buttery, creamy colcannon. In France, potatoes are sliced thin, layered and cooked in tons of butter to make potatoes Anna. And then there’s my personal favorite from Italy, the fluffy little pillows of deliciousness called gnocchi.
Probably named for the bubbling, squeaky noises it makes while cooking, bubble and squeak is a popular UK dish made by frying a mixture of leftover mashed potatoes and vegetables, something we always have in our house in the fall and winter. I like to make little patties and top it with a fried egg, or you could press the entire mixture into the skillet and make a “cake,” almost like a potato frittata and serve slices as a side dish. If you like, you could even add leftover meat to make it a complete meal. I love to serve this as dinner, or for breakfast/brunch the day after cooking a full meal.
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- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 4 cups leftover mashed potatoes
- 3 cups leftover steamed or roasted fall vegetables
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil (divided, plus more for frying eggs)
- 1 onion (peeled and chopped)
- 4 garlic cloves (peeled and minced, divided)
- 8 ounces mushrooms (quartered)
- 6 eggs
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together mashed potatoes and vegetables.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add onion and cook 5 minutes until translucent. Add half the garlic and cook 2 more minutes. Scrape sautéed vegetables into the mashed potato mixture and stir to combine. If needed, season with salt and black pepper to taste. Wipe skillet clean with a paper towel.
- While onion is cooking, saute the mushrooms. Heat 1 tablespoons olive oil in a medium skillet on medium heat. Add garlic and cook 60 seconds. Add mushrooms and cook 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are tender and have released their liquid. Season with salt and pepper.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in the cleaned large skillet on medium-high heat. Using a cup measure, take 6 scoops of potato mixture and form into patties. Place in the hot skillet and cook 5 minutes per side until well browned.
- While potato patties are cooking, fry eggs in olive oil.
- Serve potato patties topped with a scoop of sautéed mushrooms and a fried egg.
- Category: Main
- Cuisine: European
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use any leftover vegetables in the potato mixture?
Yes — the whole idea is to use whatever leftover steamed or roasted fall vegetables you have. I mix 4 cups of leftover mashed potatoes with 3 cups of vegetables. The onion and garlic you cook fresh in the skillet (5 minutes for the onion, 2 more for half the garlic) add enough fresh aromatics to bring the leftovers back to life.
How do I get the patties to brown properly without falling apart?
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the skillet on medium-high before adding the patties — the oil needs to be hot enough that you hear a sizzle immediately. Use a cup measure to scoop 6 equal portions and press them into patties of even thickness. Cook 5 minutes per side without moving them. If you fuss with them too early they will break.
Do I have to serve the bubble and squeak as individual patties?
No. You can press the entire potato mixture into the skillet and cook it as one large cake, almost like a potato frittata, then slice it into wedges as a side dish. The patty format is what I prefer for dinner because it makes it easy to top each one with a scoop of the garlic mushrooms and a fried egg.
We had this tonight shame that we didn’t try it before it would of save on waisted food we kept throwing away.