Thanksgiving Leftovers Blackened Sweet Potato Casserole Pancakes
They taste like sweet potato s’mores. So good. Blackened sweet potato pancakes - the perfect leftover breakfast for the morning after thanksgiving. Topped with sweet and tart cranberry sauce for an extra flavorful twist on a leftover classic.
Traditional sweet potato casserole is a surprisingly controversial thanksgiving dish. A lot of people find the marshamallow topped side too sweet. I happen to love it, especially paired with salty ham and tart cranberry sauce, but it is definitely something you probably will have leftover. And it can be hard to find a way to use up the last of it. But Thanksgiving meal can be an overwhelming and exhausting day to tackle, and having an easy, delicious, and essentially free breakfast the next morning is invaluable. So, one of my favorite ways to use up the last of the sweet potato casserole is by whipping up a classic leftover staple - the potato pancake, but with a sweet twist.
With just three ingredients, you’ll have an incredibly tasty breakfast that will start emptying your very full fridge. So, join me as I stay in my jammies and curlers, and take the day off after the busiest cooking day of the year, to whip up blackened sweet potato pancakes. They could not be simpler to make.
Just take your leftover sweet potato casserole, and give it a good stir until the marshmallows are blended into the sweet potatoes. If your casserole has chunks of cut up sweet potatoes, rather than mashed like mine, you can use a mixer to help the process along a bit, but don’t worry about getting it perfectly smooth, even if you still see pieces of marshmallow, they’ll come out just fine.
For every cup of sweet potatoes, add one egg, and give it a good mix. I have about 2 cups left over, so I am going to add two eggs. Don’t worry too much about measuring, you don’t have to be precise.
Once the egg is well mixed in, add a quarter cup flour for each cup of casserole. Again, I have about 2 cups so I’ll add a half cup of flour. If your casserole is on the runny side, feel free to add more flour. No need to stress about measurements, it’s one of those dishes you can easily adjust. It depends on how runny your casserole is or how moisture sweet potatoes were, so don’t be surprised if you have to add more. You can even adjust after you make the first pancake.
Once your flour is well mixed in, it’s a time to grill up your pancakes. I am going to use my favorite cast-iron griddle, but any skillet or flat top will do, just use whatever you would normally use to make pancakes.
You will want to use the lowest heat setting possible and butter your pan well before you start. I would recommend making small pancakes, since they are on the delicate side, so it takes a bit of practice to get the flip just right. Also, spread the batter as thin as you can, to about a quarter of an inch thick. Too thick, and you will have a difficult time flipping the pancake.
Even on the lowest heat setting, the high sugar content of the sweet potatoes and the marshmallows mean that the pancake will blacken no matter how quickly you flip them, but don’t panic, these are not like regular pancakes, blackened sugar is what makes them so extra special and delicious. They taste like campfire s’mores, and the crunchy texture of the burnt sugar is a tasty contrast to the extra tender sweet potato. So, blackened is exactly what you’re looking for.
They only take less than two minutes each side, so work quickly, and set a timer if it helps. It may take one or two to get a feel for the technique, but even the imperfect ones are still delicious, so enjoy the process, and feel free to add more flour to the batter if you need to.
Once you’ve grilled up all your pancakes, serve them topped with a generous portion of cranberry sauce for the perfect finish. They are fairly sweet on their own, but depending on how sweet yours are, you can add a drizzle of maple syrup as well if you’d like.
Paired with a few slices of ham, and eggs cooked to your liking, you have an absolutely delicious decadent Thanksgiving leftover breakfast you can enjoy the morning after without even changing out of your pj’s. You’ll use up sweet potato casserole, cranberry sauce, and ham, plus a few eggs if you’re like me and bought way too many.
As always, these classic leftover favorites like potato pancakes are invaluable for finishing off leftovers, and with a bit of creativity, they can be used in ways you may have never thought of. So, happy holidays, and enjoy lounging around with leftovers. You deserve it, and we all can use some recovery time from one of the most hectic days of the year.
KITCHENWARE USED IN THIS RECIPE
VINTAGE PYREX
Autumn Harvest from the 1970’s
Other Recipes in this Series
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Thanksgiving Leftovers Turkey Spaghetti
My favorite family Thanksgiving tradition is actually a leftover. Turkey Spaghetti is the perfect way to feed a crowd and use up the most under appreciated leftover of all - the turkey bones. It’s so simple, and a comfort food classic.
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Thanksgiving Leftovers Turkey Shepherd’s Pie
The original leftover destroyer! I know it’s not technically Shepherd’s Pie, since we’re going to use Thanksgiving turkey, but what else can I call it? If you’re trying to empty that very full fridge, there’s no better dish!
