This classic British breakfast recipe is hearty, healthy, delicious, and comforting, from yesterday's leftover mashed potatoes to this easy bubble-and-squeak leftover potato cake.
Best of all, it is also excellent as a side or a vegetarian main dish.
Throwing away food is wasteful, and I cannot stand it. It is one of my biggest pet peeves. And if you cannot eat the leftovers of the same dish three days in a row, then have no fear!
Repurposing ingredients into entirely different meals will do just the trick! Have you ever tried using stale bread to make a savory bread pudding? Yum!
The dish must include potatoes and cabbage, but you can use any leftover vegetables. You essentially mix everything together, coat it in flour, and then fry it in a pan.
What is Bubble and Squeak?
Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, 1785, indicates how the dish got its name:
"Bubble and Squeak, beef and cabbage fried together. It is so called from its bubbling up and squeaking whilst over the fire."
So, its name comes from the little noises cabbage makes when you cook it. Some people call them Scottish or British Potato Cakes, but I think that takes all the fun out!
How to make British Potato Cakes
- Mix mashed potatoes with cooked vegetables. Add onions, salt, pepper, and cumin and mix to combine.
- Form the potato mixture into eight cakes and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to firm up. Dip each cake into the flour to coat lightly.
- Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a wide-based frying pan. Gently place cakes into the hot oil (fry in batches if necessary). Fry for 3-4 minutes on each side or until golden brown.
- Serve with a poached or fried egg, bacon, or breakfast sausage. Garnish with chopped green onions.
How to serve Bubble and Squeak?
It's traditional to serve your bubble and squeak potato cakes with leftover meat from the night before, but you can also make them as a side to any full breakfast.
I love serving this with a poached or fried egg on top and some sausage on the side, then pouring gravy over the entire plate. Hungry yet? 😉
I can't say I haven't made this breakfast before, and I immediately wanted to fall asleep. Maybe you could save this type of breakfast for the weekends, even though it is traditionally served on Mondays to use up Sunday roast.
It beats that usual cup or three of black coffee that some call a "breakfast."
As I have mentioned before, I hate wasting food. Another reason why I love these leftover potato cakes is because you can freeze the extra mixture. If you don't plan on eating it all, save it for a few days.
Once you divide the mixture into portions and flatten it into little patties, decide how many you need or want to make. Wrap the rest in plastic, put them in a freezer bag, and freeze them!
Variations
- You can cook it as one big frittata-like dish or make little cakes. As with my cheesecakes, malva pudding, and other recipes, I love dividing them into small portions. For one, little food is cute.
- You can add panko breadcrumbs, a dash of your favorite seasoning blend, bacon, or cheese to the mixture.
As always, I encourage you to experiment with this recipe. You are essentially frying some mashed potatoes and vegetables together, and there is room for more flavors and textures!
Whatever you decide to do, you might start taking after me and purposely buying an excess of vegetables so that you can make these with the leftovers! They're that good!
More recipes using leftovers
- Potato and Pasta Dish with Ham
- Chicken and Shrimp Pasta Alfredo
- Turkey Gyros
- German Potato Casserole
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Bubble and Squeak Leftover Potato Cakes Recipe
Ingredients
- 3-4 cups leftover mashed potato
- 2 cups cooked Brussels sprouts or cabbage, sliced or chopped
- ½ cup carrots, cooked and diced (optional)
- 4 chopped spring onions, plus extra for garnish
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin, optional
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- Oil for frying
Instructions
- Mix mashed potatoes with cooked vegetables. Add onions, salt, pepper, and cumin and mix to combine.
- Form the potato mixture into 8 cakes and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to firm up. Dip each cake into the flour to coat lightly.
- Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a wide based frying pan. Gently place cakes into the hot oil (fry in batches if necessary). Fry for 3-4 minutes on each side or until golden brown.
- Serve with a poached or fried egg, bacon, or breakfast sausage. Garnish with chopped green onions.
Notes
- Add any leftover cooked vegetables to the mashed potatoes.
- Add crispy bacon bits into the potato mix.
- Bake as one big cake and then portion it out.
Miz Helen says
Your Bubble & Squeak Potato Cakes look delicious! Thanks so much for sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday and have a great week!
Miz Helen
Jas says
Thank you heaps, Miz Helen!
sageandivydesigns says
Great recipe. I cannot wait to serve it for breakfast. Happy Fall, Kippi
Jas says
Happy October, Kippi! Hope you like these little savory cakes.
marilyn1998 says
Congratulations! Your post was my Most Clicked at #OverTheMoon this week. Visit me on Sunday evening and to see your feature! I invite you to leave more links to be shared and commented upon. Please be sure to leave your link number or post title so we can be sure to visit!
Jas says
Thank you so much, Marilyn! You made my day 🙂
marymtf says
Sizzling beautifully on the stove top, Jas. I think that firming them up in the fridge has done the trick.
Jas says
That's wonderful, Mary! Did you enjoy them??
marymtf says
Made them for my husband, but I did manage to score one. It was delicious. Thanks, Jas.
Jas says
Glad to hear it! Thanks for giving it a try! 😀
marymtf says
Jas, I had no leftovers, but I got some veggies together and cooked them. The little patties are sitting in the fridge firming up as we speak. I'll let you know how it went. 🙂
Jas says
Awesome! Hope you like them. 🙂
Jann Olson says
I have never heard of Bubble and Squeak before, but I love the name! My mom did, however make potato cakes when I was a kid. Always loved them. the poached egg sounds wonderful on top! Thanks for sharing with SYC.
hugs,
Jann
Jas says
I think they're pretty similar, Jann. The Brits gave it a funny name. 🙂
Kerrie says
Oh my goodness I haven’t had bubble and squeak for so long!! I must give it a try!
Jas says
So you already know how good it is 😀 x
Claire Rocks says
these look divine! I absolutely love bubble and squeak!
Jas says
Hi, Claire! It's such a fun and delicious dish. Easy too! 🙂
eclecticredbarnBeverly says
What a great way to use leftovers. I adore the name. I don't like poached eggs so I will have to try something else.
Thanks for sharing at Over The Moon party. Pinned.
Hugs,
Bev
Jas says
Thanks, Bev! Over-hard for me, but poached looks better for the photo, lol. 😉
Amy says
This sounds so good. I like cabbage and this just sounds wonderful. I like the idea of a poached egg on top. Thank you for sharing at Over the Moon.
Jas says
Thank you, Amy! Glad you like it 🙂
helenfern says
Not only sounds delicious- it sounds fun! Thanks for sharing at the What's for Dinner party!
Jas says
It sure does, such a fun name! 😀
goatsandgreens says
I totally love to re-purpose leftovers into (almost) completely new meals. This one is a perfect suggestion and recipe!
Jas says
Nothing goes wasted in my house 🙂
applytofaceblog says
Gosh what a wonderful recipe. I LOVE the egg on top and I would so have it for a leisurely breakfast at the weekend. So tasty as well as thrifty.Pinned! Thankyou for sharing with #FiestaFriday
Jas says
I like that you described it as "thrifty". Haven't thought of that word, but it's exactly that. 😀 Thank you, Jen!
kunstkitchen says
Very clever meal I would love that meal.
Jas says
Glad you like it! 😀
passion fruit, paws and peonies says
This is just my kind of brunch! I hadn't thought of cumin. Thanks for the recipe, I'm pinning xx Maria
Jas says
Cumin, nutmeg, curry, or turmeric...all would be wonderful spices to add. Thanks for stopping in, Maria! x
Ron says
We have Bubbles and Squeak every Boxing Day, served with poached egg and lox. It's a tradition that we've had for years, but I've never made them with cumin. That might be interesting. Maybe I'll make a test run with cumin prior to Boxing Day.
Jas says
Oh, I would love it with lox! You can use any spice you like, Ron. I also sometimes add a bit of nutmeg instead of cumin. Don't wait till Boxing Day to give it a try! 🙂