What's "taters", precious?

Tonight, for dinner, my husband is making steak, lobster, and crab legs. He has requested that I make him his favorite side dish: Creamy Horseradish Mashed Potatoes. I'm making a little twist on this one, though. I'm going to make them into fried cakes. I've not had them fried since I was little. My bitch-balls crazy Grandmother used to fry them up for me (before she went bitch-balls crazy), and I would enjoy them for brunch with my Gramps, who was the coolest WWII Navy Veteran a granddaughter could ask for.

Horseradish Potato Pancakes

• 1 cup milk
• 1 oz. cream cheese
• 2 1/2 tablespoons fresh horseradish
• mashed potatoes (from scratch or boxed) - about 4 to 6 servings
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 large egg
• Olive oil or your preference of oil or shortening to fry your pancakes in

So, to start, I made mashed potatoes like anyone else does; like the back of the box of Hungry Jack tells me to. Just Kidding! Because it's just my husband and I, there isn't always a big call for potatoes here in the house, so sometimes I do use boxed. Sometimes, I do have fresh on hand. In this case, I had a few nice sized Golden's (6 medium-ish) on hand. Washed, peeled (you don't necessarily have to peel them - I did just because I could), and cubed. Boiled a pot of water (with some salt added) and allowed to cook for about 13 minutes. Poured out into a colander, rinsed off, and placed into a mixing bowl. To the potatoes I added some milk (I like using whole milk), 1 oz. of cream cheese, 3 tablespoons butter, and 2 1/2 (heaping) tablespoons fresh horseradish (the kind you get from the jar). Mixed well with a hand mixer and allowed to cool for a while. 

While the potatoes are still a little warm, add in your flour and egg, mix well. If the potatoes seem too moist, add more flour till they appear more cake-like. Heat up a skillet to a medium heat and add in your frying oil or shortening. Please be careful, as oil splatter is painful.

You can from here if you like, form patties by hand (lightly flour your hands prior to handling the potatoes) or you can just drop dollops of potatoes by the spoonful into the skillet. Allow to crisp up to your liking, flip and cook the other side. Remove and allow to sit on a paper towel to absorb any excess oil. You can, if you choose, to lightly salt and pepper (or other seasonings you prefer) before serving.

Growing up, my Grandmother would add in bits of bacon, onion, carrots, or whatever she had in the kitchen when she made these. It was a delicious treat to have. One that I craved when I would stay over. She cooked hers in lard, and let's face it, that made everything taste better.

And like I always say, be creative! Maybe try putting in chopped carrot pieces, peas, and some ground hamburger, making it into fried mini Shepherd's Pies! Lord, I'm drooling just thinking about it. Enjoy, and share what you think!