Leftovers Recipe: Panko Breaded Potato Croquettes

So I leftover potatoes and ham from our Xmas dinner and was looking for a creative way to do something with these 2 ingredients that wasn't a breakfast or a casserole. So I thought.."what the hell! Let's make some croquettes!"

Panko Breaded Croquettes

       In theory, croquettes are a great way to use leftover potatoes or even mashed potatoes. You simply make your favorite kind of mashed potatoes and then mold them into little egg shaped croquettes. As a tip, you should have plenty of flower around to dip your fingers in so your hands do not stick to the potatoes while you are shaping and handling them. Once you make the egg shaped croquette, you then take your finger and poke it into the center to create a little hole that you can fill with whatever stuffing mixture you decide to make. Once you have your croquettes made, you will need an egg yolk wash and then lightly dip them in whatever breading you choose. For my croquettes, I am using some Panko crumbs. After they are dipped in the breading, just flash fry for 1-2 minutes per side and then eat em up!

Here are the mixtures I made:

Ham & Cheddar Mixture

1/4 small yellow onion

6 oz cooked ham

1 small clove garlic

Salt & Pepper to taste 

Saute off your onions & garlic, then add the ham mixture and let cool. After cooled, mix with some shredded cheddar cheese.

Red Pepper & Cheese Mixture

1/2 small yellow onion finely chopped

1/2 small red pepper finally chopped

2 cloves garlic finely choppped

Pinch of Paprika

Heat small skillet on medium heat with about a pinch of oil in it and then add the diced onions & pepper and saute till onions are lightly brown then add garlic and saute another 2-3 minutes. Lightly salt and pepper to taste. After mixture is done, put in freezer to cool for 2-3 minutes. Then mix sauteed veggies with the cheeses of your choice...I am using more french and Italian cheeses.

Post meal notes:

1.) Be sure to make the croquettes thin. I made mine a bit to big and they felt more like mashed potatoes rather than croquettes. 

2.) Come up with a nice remoulade to serve with the croquettes for dipping.