A great way to use up those roast dinner leftovers, these Bubble & Squeak Cakes are made with leftover potatoes and vegetables and are also egg and gluten free!
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I think a roast dinner has to be one of my favourite ever meals. Tender meat, crispy roast potatoes, a Yorkshire pudding, oodles of veg and lashings of gravy! I’m salivating just thinking about it.
The thing I always do when making a roast dinner, is make double the amount of potatoes and vegetables that I need, so I can make these bubble & squeak cakes the next day.
The whole family will love these! They are a great toddler food as the veg is hidden if you have fussy eaters and are soft and easy to eat. They are also packed so full of flavour that the adults will love them as well!
My version is vegan, dairy, egg and gluten free too!
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🤔 What Is Bubble & Squeak?
It’s a funny old name isn’t it.
Traditionally it was a dish made of leftover meat, potatoes and vegetables, normally cabbage, all mashed together and fried. Nowadays, we normally leave out the meat and just use potatoes and a range of vegetables, depending on what you have leftover from your roast dinner.
According to Britannica, the name originates from the sound of the ingredients “bubbling & squeaking” on the fire when they were fried.
It can be made into one big cake, almost like a frittata, simply fried together loosely in the pan or into little patties like I have done in this recipe.
🥘 Ingredients Needed & Substitutions
- Leftover Roast Potatoes - I prefer using leftover roasties, however you can also use leftover mashed potato. I wouldn’t recommend using mash though if it is the creamy type with lots of added butter or cream, as this may cause the cakes to fall apart.
- Leftover Cooked Vegetables - I have used cabbage and Brussel sprouts, but you can use any leftover veg like carrots, broccoli, parsnips, peas or green beans. Whatever you have leftover, throw it in!
- Onion - Chopped and fried before mixing with the vegetables to add flavour.
- Dijon Mustard -Adds a hint of tang to the cakes. If you are allergic to mustard you can leave this out.
- Gluten Free Flour - Used to coat the patties before frying. This helps them stay together and not stick to the bottom of the pan, as well as helping to form a nice crust on the outside of the patty. I always use Doves Farm Freee plain flour, just use regular flour if you are not gluten free.
- Olive Oil - This is used to fry the patties in.
- Salt & Pepper -If cooking for small children you may wish to leave out the salt.
Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for quantities.
✋ Be sure to double check all packaging for allergens. ✋
✏️ How to Make This Recipe
Dice the onion into small pieces and fry in a little oil in the frying pan on a low to medium heat until it starts to soften and slightly brown.
Time to chop the veg! You can either put the potatoes and vegetables along with the cooked onion in a food processor and pulse until it has broken into smaller pieces but there are still lumps.
I use this method as it is quicker but if you prefer to chop the veg manually or you don’t have a food processor, simply chop the potatoes and veg into small pieces and then place in a large mixing bowl and mash with a potato masher.
Next, add the mustard and salt & pepper, then using your hands, mould the mixture into 6 equal size balls.
Flatten the balls with the back of your hand and mould into round patty shapes.
Coat each patty in flour, ensuring it fully covered, then fry in a hot frying pan with oil for a few minutes each side until the outside starts to brown and they are warm throughout.
💡 Tips & Tricks
- If you have time, put the cakes in the fridge for at least 10 minutes before cooking. This will help them to firm up and keep their shape whilst cooking.
- Treat the cakes with love! They are quite delicate, so be gentle with them when handling and flipping over.
- Make sure you use a non stick frying pan, otherwise no matter how careful you are, the patties will stick to the pan and crumble.
- Ensure that the oil is hot before adding the cakes to the pan. A good way to test this is to drop a little crumb of mixture into the pan and see if it sizzles.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan. You may need to fry these in batches, a couple at a time. If you put too many in, the steam gets stuck under the cakes at the bottom of the pan and they won’t crisp up.
⚡ Mix up the Flavour!
- Add Meat- Why not chop up some leftover roasted meat into small pieces and mash together with the mixture. Roast beef tastes particularly lovely in these cakes. You can also add cooked diced ham.
- Add Herbs - Add fresh chives or a little thyme to the cakes for a flavour twist.
- Add Chilli - Like spice? Add a sprinkle of chilli flakes to the mixture before mashing for a touch of heat.
🔪 Equipment
It's important to use a non-stick frying pan for this recipe so the patties don't stick to the pan.
I use a metal spatula to help carefully flip the patties and remove from the opan.
Although optional, I prefer to use a food processor to chop up the veg as its quicker than the manual method.
If you prefer the manual method, after chopping you can mash the potatoes and veg with a potato masher.
🥡 How To Store
If you have leftovers they will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for around 2-3 days. Re-heat them in the oven at 180˚C for around 5-10 minutes until piping hot throughout. You can also re-heat in the microwave but this will cause the cakes to go really soft and you will lose any crispness to the outside.
If adding leftover meat to the patties, I wouldn’t recommend re-heating them and they are best eaten straight away when cooked, as you would have already heated the meat twice.
They will also freeze really well. First of all freeze flat on a cold baking tray for around an hour until frozen. This will ensure they keep their shape.They can then be popped into a freezer bag for up to 3 months.
When you are ready to eat, let them thaw in the fridge over night and re-heat as above.
🍴 Serving Suggestions
Traditionally bubble & squeak is eaten the day after a “Sunday roast” or Christmas dinner as a breakfast or brunch, so this will make the perfect Boxing Day breakfast!
If you don’t have an egg allergy, fry an egg and lay the egg over the top of a couple of patties for a delicious brunch dish.
They can also be served as a light lunch or as a side dish for a quick dinner with some sausages or leftover roasted meat and baked beans!
💬 Recipe FAQ's
I prefer to pan fry the patties as this helps the outside crisp up and gives it that lovely brown colour, however if you prefer to bake them you can pop them on a baking tray in the oven at 180˚Fan / 200˚C / 395˚F for 15-20 minutes until hot throughout.
Sometimes people put an egg into the mixture before forming into patties to help the cakes stay together whilst cooking. As I try to make as many of my recipes as possible egg free, I have not added an egg, but to be honest as long as you are careful when handling the patties, you really don’t need it
As long as you don’t add an egg to bind the patties, as the ingredients are made up of potatoes and vegetables, bubble and squeak is considered a vegan dish.
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Bubble & Squeak Cakes
Equipment
- Food Processor optional
Ingredients
- 350 g leftover roast potatoes or leftover mashed potatoes
- 200 g leftover cooked vegetables
- 1 medium onion finely diced
- 50 g gluten free plain flour can use regular plain flour if not following GF diet
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard can be left out if allergic to mustard
- olive oil enough to shallow fry the patties in
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Dice the onion into small squares and fry in a little oil in a frying pan on a low to medium heat for around 4-5 minutes, until it starts to soften and slightly brown.
- Either put the potatoes and vegetables along with the cooked onion in a food processor and pulse until it has broken into smaller pieces but there are still lumps. If you prefer to chop the veg manually or you don’t have a food processor, simply chop the potatoes and veg into small pieces and then place in a large mixing bowl and mash with a potato masher.
- Add the mustard and salt & pepper to the mashed mixture. Using your hands, mould the mixture into 6 equal size balls.
- Add some oil to the frying pan and turn onto a medium heat ready for the patties.
- Flatten the balls with the back of your hand and shape into round patties.
- Place the flour in a bowl and dip each patty in the flour, ensuring it fully covered, then fry in a hot frying pan for around 4-5 minutes each side until the outside starts to brown and they are warm throughout.
Notes
- If you have time, put the cakes in the fridge for at least 10 minutes before cooking. This will help them to firm up and keep their shape whilst cooking.
- Treat the cakes with love! They are quite delicate, so be gentle with them when handling and flipping over.
- Make sure you use a non stick frying pan, otherwise no matter how careful you are, the patties will stick to the pan and crumble.
- Ensure that the oil is hot before adding the cakes to the pan. A good way to test this is to drop a little crumb of mixture into the pan and see if it sizzles.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan. You may need to fry these in batches, a couple at a time. If you put too many in, the steam gets stuck under the cakes at the bottom of the pan and they won’t crisp up.
Nutrition
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