Turn leftover mashed potatoes into the perfect pub food...at home. Pepperoni pizza potato croquettes are crispy, cheesy, and packed with big pizza flavor. These are a perfect party snack!
Course Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine American, Italian
Keyword Cheese, Feeds a Crowd, Party Food, Pepperoni, Potatoes
Servings 24croquettes
Ingredients
2cupsleftover mashed potatoes
1tbspdried oregano
1tspgranulated garlic
½tspred pepper flakes
½tspkosher salt
2ozJack cheesegrated
2ozmozzarella cheesegrated
½ozpecorino cheesegrated
3ozpepperonidiced small, ~1/4-inch dice
2eggsdivided
1cupall-purpose flour
2cupspanko bread crumbs
canola or vegetable oilfor frying
marinara saucefor serving
Instructions
In a large bowl, mix together mashed potatoes, oregano, granulated garlic, crushed red pepper, kosher salt, all of the cheeses, pepperoni, and 1 egg.Stir to combine well. Make sure the egg is full incorporated into the mixture.
Portion into 1 oz portions (~2 tbsp). Then shape each portion into a 3-4-inch cylinder shape. Remember those playdough skills you learned in pre-school. They're coming in handy now. Place the croquettes on a parchment paper lined sheet pan or baking dish that will fit in the freezer.Freeze for about 15-20 minutes.
Set up your breading station using three cake pans (or bowls). Pour half of the flour in one. Add the second egg to another pan and whisk the egg until fully beaten. In the third pan, pour half of the panko breadcrumbs. I like to hold back on the flour and panko because I'm never sure exactly how much I need for breading. This way I can add a bit more as needed but won't waste too much. Bread your croquettes by dredging in flour (make sure to get the ends of the cylinder), the dip in the egg, and then in the panko coating well. You can bread all of the croquettes before starting the frying process.
Heat a cast iron skillet or other heavy bottom, high sided pan with about 2-inches of oil. Heat over medium high heat until your oil reaches 350F degrees. Fry the croquettes in batches. Try not to crowd the pan. Fry on each side for about 2-3 minutes until the croquettes are golden brown. Remove from the oil and drain on a rack that's sitting above paper towels. Season the croquettes with kosher salt as they come out of the oil.
Serve with your favorite marinara sauce (see below for a quick recipe.)
Notes
If you'd like to keep some croquettes in the freezer for later, before the breading step, once the croquettes are frozen, move them to a zip top bag. They should keep in the freezer for up to 6 months. When you want to cook them, bread and fry.
Quick marinara sauce: sweat about 1/4 cup of finely diced onion in a tablespoon of olive oil for about 5 minutes. Add 2-3 cloves of minced garlic and 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes. Cook for another 30 seconds. Add a can of diced tomatoes, 1 tsp of oregano, and salt & pepper to taste. Simmer for 10-15 minutes.