Saturday, April 22, 2023

Appetizer Idea: Fried Mashed Potato Cakes with Brisket and Pimento Cheese

[FTC Standard Disclosure] We receive no compensation for this post. If any links may earn us a commission, those links will be tagged [Affiliate link].

I smoked a brisket last weekend and while it was tender, delicious, and amazing, that is just the start of this post.


One night last week, I made twice-baked potatoes with some of this tasty brisket and leftover pimento cheese that Alexis had made.

Twice-Baked Potatoes

The process is simple. 

  • I baked two large Idaho bakers on the Egg until they were tender. 
  • I sliced the top off and scoops the steaming potato pulp into a large bowl. 
  • There I added about a cup of chopped brisket and a heaping amount of pimento cheese. 
  • I stuffed most of this mix back into the potato shells.

I put the potatoes on a tray into a Big Green Egg set up for indirect heat and running at 350°f. I topped them with a few pats of butter and let them run for 20 minutes.


Then I topped them with a "small" amount of sharp cheddar and let them roll until the cheese was melted, another 10 minutes or so.

I seasoned them with some dried herbs and they were ready.
Warm, creamy, smoky, and briskety - these were phenomenal.
But...that's just half of the story.


Fried Mashed Potato Cakes

Remember the leftover stuffing for the twice-baked potatoes? Yes, the leftover, leftovers. I used those to make Fried Mashed Potato Cakes! 


Here's how I did those, it was pretty simple. 


I started by cleaning out my BGE Mini-Max grill. That is so much easier now that I finally bought a Kick Ash Basket Ash Can

How fussy are you about adding coal? I like to shake the ash off of the leftover coal in the Egg. It's fine to just add more coal to the basket. But I like to remove the used coal, add the new coal, and put the used coal on top. I find the used coal lights easier and it definitely doesn't pop as much.

I formed the leftover twice-baked potato mix into cakes using a 2 1/2" ring and then double-dipped them (flour-egg-flour).

I got the Mini-Max dialed in at 350°f and preheated the skillet of oil for 5 minutes. I fried them in oil for right at 1 minute per side.

I put them on a rack when they came out so they didn't get greasy.

I gave them a quick squirt of white queso sauce and it was time to dive into
golden, crispy deliciousness!