Vegan Potato Cakes stuffed with Mushrooms – Delicious way to use leftover mashed potatoes. Potato cakes are perfect for summer, fall or winter lunch. Use different herbs to change the flavour. It’s a delicious savoury vegan meal that even meat-eaters will love!
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For our first wedding year anniversary I gave my husband a fancy swiss army knife. He gave me a magazine subscription. “I thought we were doing traditional anniversary gifts, ” he said, “first year is paper.”
For our second anniversary I gave him a bathrobe; he gave me jewellery. “I thought we decided to do traditional anniversary gifts, ” I said to him, “second year is cotton.” Finally, for our third year we were in sync and gave each other traditional leather gifts.
Fourth year was much more difficult. Old school guides suggested that year four is the year of flowers or fruit, however, modern interpretation of that year said that it was the year for appliances. After a few weeks of hints I finally got a Slow Cooker.
And not a moment too soon. Since my oven stopped working, the slow cooker got a lot of use. Up until a few weeks ago I did not realize how much I rely on the oven. I don’t have a microwave, so leftovers get heated in the oven.
I bake, I roast, I broil and toast. I make most of my main courses in the oven. I cook vegetables, fruit, and bread. I grill pita, make meatballs, warm stews. All of it in the oven, not on the stove.
I cook in the oven so much, that I actually have a cookbook coming out in August 2018 called Ultimate One-Pan Oven Cookbook: Complete Meals Using Just Your Sheet Pan, Dutch Oven, Roasting Pan and More. Go ahead, pre-order it now as it’s on sale. It contains 75 original delicious and easy recipes all made in the oven.
So, for the past two weekends I’ve been slow cooking my food and trying to come up with ideas of what I could make on the stove that would be easy, convenient, and fast. Savoury Vegan Potato Cakes popped into my head recently and I finally got a chance to make them.
Stuffed Potato Cakes or Zrazy?
Stuffed potato cakes are actually a traditional Russian dish called Zrazy. There are many different kinds of Zrazy, some are meat based, some are vegetarian, but the basic idea behind the name is that it is something stuffed.
It could be meat roulades stuffed with eggs and fried. It could be fish cakes stuffed with dill pickles. Or, like in this case, it could be Vegan Potato Cakes stuffed with Mushrooms.
How to make Stuffed Potato Cakes
These Vegan Potato Cakes can be made with leftover mashed potatoes or you can make vegan mashed potatoes specifically for this recipe. If you are using leftover mashed potatoes then they need to be pretty sturdy and not very thin or you might need to add a bit extra flour to make the mashed potato dough pliable.
Once the mashed potato dough is made by adding some flour to the mashed potatoes, you just wrap it around a spoonful of your filling (Mushrooms, Onions, and Dill in this case) and form into patties.
Wondering if there’s a secret to cooking the most delicious and perfect mushrooms? Check out my article on how to cook perfect mushrooms every time. There’s definitely a secret and you won’t believe what it is!!!
You then pan fry the stuffed potato cakes until they are golden on each side. I highly recommend using a very good non-stick pan, otherwise the mashed potatoes might stick to the pan. You might also need to use a bit more oil depending on your pan.
My pan of choice is Calphalon. I’ve been using their pans for many years now and I replace them with the same brand and model when they wear out.
How much oil is needed to pan-fry these Vegan Potato Cakes?
Well, I list 2 tablespoons in my recipe with 1 tablespoon used for the mushroom filling and another one used to pan-fry the Stuffed Potato Cakes.
But, here’s the thing, the oil to pan-fry the potato cakes really depends on your pan. If you have a large pan then the oil will spread all over it in a much thinner layer than if you have a small pan.
If your pan is non-stick but is well used, it might not be as great for pan-frying these cakes as they might stick without enough oil.
Also, some pans and stoves have hot spots so the temperature might be different which would also mean that the potato cakes could stick.
So, use your discretion and add more oil if needed.
TIP: it is also very often the case that the food will stick to the pan until it is properly cooked. I find that even with my very good non-stick pan, these stuffed potato cakes will stick to the pan for a few minutes, but once the nice and beautiful golden crust is created, they will magically not stick anymore.
What other herbs can you use with the Mushroom Filling?
- Dill – this is by far my favourite herb to use with mushrooms!
- Parsley – this is one of the most common herbs and very traditional, so everyone will love it.
- Thyme – thyme and mushrooms are a great combination as thyme adds an earthy note to the filling.
- Rosemary – just a great savoury way to flavour the mushrooms. Would be great around the holidays!
- Oregano – oregano is not just for pizza or Greek salad, it goes great with mushrooms.
What other fillings can you add to Vegan Potato Cakes?
- Try sauerkraut for a touch of Polish flavour
- Sautéed spinach with chili flakes for a spicy kick
- Vegan melty cheese for an indulgent treat
This recipe works really well with leftover mashed potatoes too. Mushrooms and onions are cooked slowly for at least 15-20 minutes until all the liquid evaporated and then a few more minutes to get some colour. Herbs are then added to the mixture.
I love dill, it gives the filling summery yet savoury brightness. Some flour is added to mashed potatoes to make a simple dough, then potato cakes are stuffed and pan-fried to get golden colour. Serve these Vegan Potato Cakes stuffed with Mushrooms with some lemon, mustard or horseradish.
Can you make Vegan Potato Cakes stuffed with Mushrooms using gluten-free flour?
I personally have never tried making potato cakes gluten-free but I’ve had readers make these with chickpea or rice flours with great results. If you make them with another type of gluten-free flour, please let me know in comments!
Can you make the Stuffed Potato Cakes without any flour?
This is a great question. Flour is used not just to make the mashed potato dough pliable. Flour also changes the texture and flavour of the mashed potatoes. So, they actually taste a bit like dough.
If you are able to wrap mashed potatoes around the mushroom filling then you don’t really need to add the flour. Just remember, the flavour and texture will be different from my original recipe.
TIP: If you really prefer not to add any flour to these Vegan Potato Cakes then you could mix the mashed potatoes and the mushroom filling together, shape into patties and pan-fry. The Potato Cakes will look a bit different (they won’t be stuffed) but they will still be incredibly delicious!
One of my favourite things about this recipe (besides delicious flavour) is that it is a great way to get creative with your leftovers. If you like Vegan Potato Cakes stuffed with Mushrooms and would like to try something similar (and a bit easier) then make my Bubble and Squeak Potato Cakes.
Watch the video below of how to make these delicious Vegan Potato Cakes stuffed with Mushrooms. It’s so easy!
Vegan Potato Cakes stuffed with Mushrooms - Delicious way to use leftover mashed potatoes. Perfect for summer, fall or winder lunch, use different herbs to change the flavour | Imagelicious
- 2 pounds potatoes
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons oil or more as needed for pan-frying, divided
- 1/2 pound mushrooms
- 150 g onion
- 10 g dill (or other herbs like parsley, rosemary, thyme
- 1/2 cup flour
- salt, pepper, dry thyme and your other favourite flavourings to taste
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Wash, peel and dice the potatoes.
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Boil the potatoes with bay leaf until fully cooked.
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While the potatoes are cooking, heat one tablespoon of oil in a large pan.
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Dice the onion and coarsely chop mushrooms.
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Add the onion and mushrooms to the pan and cook on medium-low heat mixing occasionally until all the liquid evaporated. This will take about 15-20 minutes.
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Cook for another 5 minutes until the mixture starts to brown.
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Season to taste with salt and pepper. I use 1/4 teaspoon each salt, pepper, and dry thyme.
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Finally chop the dill (or other herbs you are using), add it to the pan with the mushrooms, mix and take off the heat.
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Once the potatoes are cooked, drain them well and mash with fork or masher, do not use food processor as it'll turn the potatoes watery. Season to taste.
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Cool the potatoes.
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Add flour to the mashed potatoes and mix well.
Alternatively, you could use leftover mashed potatoes.
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Take about 2 tablespoons of potato dough and flatten into a disk, place one spoonful of mushroom filling and cover with a bit more potato dough. Form into a disk.
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Once all the potato cakes are assembled, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large pan.
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Place potato cakes on the pan and fry about 5 minutes until they turn golden, flip and fry another 5 minutes until golden.
IMPORTANT: Use more oil if needed.
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Serve with the leftover mushroom mixture if any left, some lemon juice, mustard or horseradish.
Recipe Video
You can omit flour or add less than the recipe calls for. I like flour as it makes the potatoes easier to handle, but it certainly isn't necessary.
Filling can vary. You can add different herbs like thyme, for example, or parsley. Or add bell peppers.
You will most likely have a tiny little bit of the mushroom filling leftover, just serve it alongside the potato cakes.
I have a really good non-stick pan (affiliate link) so the cakes don't stick too much, but if you are worried, add more oil to make sure that they don't stick. I know some readers had trouble with the frying part. Note, that quite often food will stick to the pan until it's actually done and only once it's properly cooked, it'll get released. In any case, please add oil as needed when frying the cakes. Also, they can be baked instead of fried.
Oooooooo this looks amazing and yummy and cozy and good for you and lots of other nice things! It has been ages since I tried zrazy, must make soon!
Thank you, Lily! Yea – these are delicious. i don’t know why I don’t make them more often.
these look like pure deliciousness! Such a great new way to enjoy potatoes!
Thank you, Rachel! They were delicious!
These stuffed pancakes look great! Toss some sour cream on there and I’d probably eat the entire batch myself! Loved the story of you and your husband — too cute. I’m glad you finally got synced up! 🙂
Amanda – yeah, these are absolutely delicious with sour cream. If you don’t follow a vegan diet, then I’d also add an egg into potatoes too.
I really love the photos and this recipe sounds beyond delicious!
Thank you so much, Sandra! The recipe is delicious and also easy, especially if you have leftover mashed potatoes.
Thanks for sharing this recipe. I’ll be making this for my gf vegan Thanksgiving meal. Have you ever used a brown gravy drizzled on top?
Hi Debra – I haven’t tried them with gravy, but I’m sure it’ll be delicious. Also, you don’t have to add as much flour to the mashed potatoes as I did, to make the cakes even healthier. Flour allows you to shape the patties easier, but it’s not necessary. If you oil your hands, then the patties would shape well too and the potatoes will not get stuck to your palms.
Can i replace with sweet potatoes? xD just prefer the taste
Quinn – I personally have not tried it with sweet potatoes, but I don’t see why not. You may need to add a bit more seasoning and spices.
Looks delicious! I’d like to make them for a party, but would have to make them in advance and freeze them – do you think they would hold up to freezing?
Thanks!
Sarah – I’m not sure if they can be frozen. Starches in Potatoes when exposed to cold turn to sugars, so they may turn sweet. Also, they may be a bit watery. But this is just me guessing. I’ve never done that.
Could you convert the items measured by grams please. I don’t know how to measure in this way. Looks absolutly scrumptious. I’d eat them all. Thanks. Good day.
For onion you need about 1 medium onion. For dill it’s about 2-3 tablespoons or about 8 stalks.
These were amazing! I made them for hanukkah. I had a problem frying them, as all my pans are pretty terrible. So I put them in the oven instead and they turned out perfect.
Zo – I am super happy you liked them. Yes, frying them is a bit tricky as they stick to the pan, so you need quite a lot of oil and a really good pan. But I’m glad you were able to bake them, and so making them even healthier!
Why are the vegetable quantities here stated by weight ( interestingly a mixture of imperial and metric) but flour by volume Measurements in this case probably don’t have to be too accurate but measuring anything apart form liquid by volume is inaccurate depending on how tightly it is packed. 1/2 cup I think is around 60 grams? A little more than 2 ounces
Hello Mary – you are correct, there’s no need to measure ingredients for the filling exactly and this is precisely why I weighed them. It’s a lot easier to weigh vegetables, than to measure them in cups.
These look delicious! I made everything according to the recipe. The oil was not specified, so I used coconut oil. I only wish I had read the comments first. The recipe calls for frying the potato cakes in the remaining oil, which would mean no more than 2 tablespoons. I had a horrible time with them sticking and, basically, falling to pieces when I tried to flip them. I’ve never made these before, so I decided to stick with the recipe. I read the comments, after my failed attempt, and learned that you need quite a bit of oil. It may be helpful to state that in the recipe. Or I could’ve just stuck to my gut and added more oil. Lesson learned I suppose. Either way, thanks for sharing your recipe.
Courtney – I am sorry you had trouble with frying them. Thank you for your comment, I added a note about extra oil for the future. Hopefully it’ll help others. I hope it won’t deter you from coming back to the site. Happy holidays!
I set out to make this recipe yesterday evening. I have made potato pancakes all my life and they are a family favorite so I think that I have some expertise here. Having said that I did add the flour as well as an egg white to the potatoes as a binder. Floured my hands and attempted to make a potato disk using my mixture. After assembling a couple I placed them in the pan of hot oil as they fell apart in my hands! I have no idea how you would form this mixture into something that can be transferred to the pan. Finally I just ended up dropping the batter by spoons full and then dropped the mushroom/onion mixture on top and pressed it into the batter. My daughter was saying, "oh just mix it all together"! Despite the challenges of making a patty that could be moved to the pan without falling apart, they were delicious! We ate them all and most likely could have eaten more. I would make them the same, drop a spoonful of batter and flatten that in the pan and top with a spoonful of mushroom mixture and flatten that into the potato mixture. NO sticking, no issues with that at all. Delish!
Narda – I’m sorry you had trouble with the mixture falling apart. I am not sure why this would happen. Could be because of the extra moisture from the egg white and not enough flour? I make mashed potato cakes and stuffed mashed potato cakes on regular basis and although I usually just eyeball the amount of flour, they don’t fall apart and if they stick, I just add a bit more flour. Again, I’m sorry the exact recipe didn’t work for you, but I’m glad you were able to still enjoy these cakes. Thank you for your comment.
Adding the egg white made them too sloopy , dry out the potatos on the stove after you drain them. Add flour to potatos and make sure mixture is cold. When you form the patties put a little oil on your hands and the mixture wont stick then cold mushroom and top layer.
I had exactly the same problem. I followed the recipe (I didn’t add egg) and when I was trying to form the mixture it just instantly sticked to my hands. I used some oil on my hands but it was just exhausting. I made 5 and then I just mixed everything together and put it into the oven. The were delicious though!
What temperature are the cakes baked at and for how long? Do they need to be flipped?
Susan – I actually haven’t baked them myself but some other readers did. If I were to bake them, I’d do it in 350F oven. I’d also spray them lightly with oil so that they’d brown. Perhaps 10-15 min per side, but I’d check to make sure that they don’t burn. Good thing is that since they are vegan, there’s no need to make sure that there’s anything raw inside and at cooked. You are basically trying to firm up the mashed potatoes. Good luck.
Fabulous – Thanks very much for this recipe, I kept adding flour until I could handle the potato. The cakes were delicious !
Karen – I am so glad it worked for you. I know some readers had trouble with forming the cakes and frying them. I’m glad you added more flour. Thanks for letting me know!
looks really easy and tasty I’m going to try this
Daphne – I hope you like it. Just remember to add enough flour to make the potato mixture pliable and use more oil if they stick.
Do you think they would be any good using mashed sweet potatoes?
Steve – I haven’t tried, but I think it would work too if you like the flavour combination of sweet potato and mushrooms. You may need to add more flour since sweet potatoes are a bit more watery and more salt
Do you think mashed sweet potatoes old work?
Tried your potato cakes and they came out great, only I used a cast iron pan with a little oil and they browned up nicely. My wife and guests loved them.
I’m doing this now, I just don’t know and have to ask, when you say cook mushrooms and onions in a large pan do you mean a frying pan or a boiling pan? Thanks !:)
I did the potato cakes, they taste good but didnt cook in the inside! And if I let them cook more, they burn on the outside 🙁 What am I doing wrong? I’m sad because they were a lot of work.
If they are cooking too fast on the outside and not on the inside, then your heat is too high. Lower the heat next time 🙂
everything is cooked what do you need to cook on the inside . If you fry them on both sides till golden they will heat up inside.
I saw this recipe and knew I had to try it. I used a sweet potato and found that it needed more seasoning just overall. I think next time I will add a little more to the water as well. With the mushroom and onion I also added a bit of garlic which turned out quite nicely. I used more flour for the potatoes and it worked well. Very happy with the recipe and cannot wait to try it again. Thanks for sharing!
I will try this with another filling, maybe spinach or broccoli. Mushrooms are gross.
These look divine. I’m not a big fan of dill so I would probably use parsley instead. Do you have any idea if these would freeze well? For some reason I feel like they would be a great thing to make ahead and then toast in the oven for a quick snack/light meal.
I made those for Easter, they were really good! Thanks for a great recipe 🙂
I just made these! They look and smell great as well as taste divine. I made them with parsley instead of dill, as that was what I had on hand. Great recipe!
These look great. Do you know if they freeze well?
I think I will make them with Parsley instead of dill as well.
What a great twist to the potato pancake! Mushrooms are just a great addition to plant-based dishes, aren’t they? Thanks! I shared it all over the place!
Mmmm, So yummy. I made these today for lunch for my toddler and I and they were delicious. I also mentioned I was making this on my youtube channel and Instagram page. Totally worth sharing. #TheNeils 🙂
I am going to make these on Chinese mid autumn festival, our family love potatoes very much and mushrooms as well. Thank you
How long should they be baked and at what temperature do you recommend?
I haven’t actually baked them, I only pan fried them before. I imagine baking temperature would be 350F. I would spray them with oil so that they crisp up and bake until they are a bit brown, maybe 30 min or so, flipping once. But I haven’t tried it.
This looks super delicious. Definitely on my to-do list.
What temperature and for how long would I bake them?
I haven’t actually baked them, I only pan fried them before. I imagine baking temperature would be 350F. I would spray them with oil so that they crisp up and bake until they are a bit brown, maybe 30 min or so, flipping once. But I haven’t tried it.
On my to do list
Just wondering – when you finish cooling the potatoes, do you mash them up right away, or let some of the extra evaporate from them in the drained boiling pot? When I make regular mashed potatoes, I dry them out a bit because I don’t like water logged potatoes – but maybe for this recipe that’s needed? Just wondering before I try making these – they look yummy!
I usually cool potatoes so that I could handle them. I drain them well, but I don’t specifically make water evaporate. Potatoes need to be pretty dry or you’ll need more flour to make the "dough"
We made these last night and they turned out well. This is definitely a keeper repeat recipe. I added brown lentils for a protein boost so they could be a complete meal, and some spinach because I love greens. I also used quinoa flour (more protein) because my hubs is allergic to gluten. We fried them in an oiled cast iron skillet, and they browned up quickly and evenly.
I have several patties left which I may try baking so they have less oil. Next time, I may try to cut back or omit the floor so they taste more like mashed potatoes since you said it was optional, I just worry they won’t hold, maybe just a bit of potato scratch?
yummy! I have to try this.
Do u know how many cal have one dough please ? Thx
Unfortunately I don’t know
Just made these, quite tasty and they present very well! Think it would be great with cheese inside (vegan thing aside), like mozzarella or parmesan. I made 6 large and a baby one, but only just saw it’s meant to make 9! They still worked. I probably used 3 quarters cup of flour and a bit more oil for frying. Thanks, great to add more to the repertoire!
I agree, I bet feta or goat cheese would work wonderfully with the mushroom filling. Thanks for letting me know about flour – it all depends on the potatoes, so I’m glad you used your own judgement there.
Made these last year for Friendsgiving and this year, I will be doing them again! Totally used some gravy with them (in case anyone is wondering) and it was fabulous. Can’t wait to make them again <3
Looks great!
Do you think i can make them in advance and just refry them for warm up before serving?
I think you can make them a day before and then warm up before serving
Can I use lentil flour for this recipe?
Unfortunately I haven’t tried so I can’t know for sure. My guess is that yes, you could, but I don’t know 100%.
I will let you know how it goes.
I’m going to make this today, when you mash the potatoes, do you add butter/milk like you would regular mashed potatoes or just mash them?
Since this is a vegan recipe I don’t add anything. If you aren’t vegan then you can add a bit of butter for taste. Just remember that you are essentially making a potato “dough”, so the more butter you add to the potatoes the thinner they will get and the more flour you’d need to add later.
I made these last weekend for my husband and he was in heaven! He raved about them to everyone he talked to all week saying it was 5 star restaurant fare. I used a vegan gravy recipe over them but otherwise did it EXACTLY as the recipe said. It is definitely our new favorite recipe and as new vegans I thank you for making it feel less and less like we are giving anything up!!
Wow – thank you so much for such words!! I’m so glad both you and your husband loved the recipe! I am not vegan but I love making vegan food and this one is also one of my favourites!!
People! Read the comments BEFORE you ask a question. Good grief. Then you won’t have to waste everyone’s time reading the same thing 50 times!!! Or waste the author’s time by having to answer it 50 times. She’s way more patient than I am.
Sorry, one of my pet peeves.
Haha 🙂 thanks!
I’m having a vegan dinner party next week, can they be made a head.
I haven’t tried making them in advance, so I don’t know specifically. However, if I were to have a dinner party I would make the mashed potatoes a day ahead and mushroom mixture a day early also and keep in the fridge. On the morning of the dinner party I’d shape the patties and stack them – make sure to put a piece of parchment paper in between each patty so that they don’t stick. Then fry them just before the dinner. Again, I haven’t tried it but I think it would work.
These look so delish! I just bought some mushrooms that definitely need to be made into these.
Thank you so much! I hope you enjoy them
I’m not a cook by any means. I have some vegetarian Friends coming over for dinner. Can someone tell me how much flower? Some point of measurement. Are we talking about 1 cup of flour or a tablespoon. Please give me a starting point of measurement and then if it’s still not enough the increment measurements to add. Thank you!
It says in the recipe that you need 1/2 cup flour. If the “dough” is too sticky then you can add more.
I tried once and i will always come back to this recipe – DELICIOUS. 😮
Thank you so much! I’m glad you liked it!
Great recipe. I just made a few alterations to suite my own dietary needs: subbed flour for cornstarch as I’m allergic to wheat and I steamed and used the potatoes skin-on instead of boiling them (it makes them far less watery). I also added 1/2 a teaspoon of baking powder (and old trick my Gran used to give her mashed potatoes a more fluffy appearance) and baked them at 230°C instead of frying them up. Dying to try a few variations like a cottage pie version with lentils and one with broccoli and vegan cheese filling.
Thanks for the comment! I’m glad to hear about your changes . And I’m glad to know that baking them worked, I was wondering about that. I should try your baking powder trick!!
What would you recommend pairing these with? A bowl of soup?
Think of these cakes as just fancy mashed potatoes so whatever you would eat with mash would work with these cakes… soup sounds wonderful or a nice warm winter salad. I can see some wilted spinach, roasted butternut squash and red onion mixture also
i have obeseitis and chronic lassitude. could i make this with instant mashed potatoes?
I’ve never tried but I think yes as long as the potatoes are stiff enough and not runny
Oh wow these look so tasty! I’ll have to try these out 🙂
Julia // The Sunday Mode
Thank you!
how much is one portion?
It makes 9 potato cakes. You can make them smaller or larger if you’d like. Portion depends on your preferences
What type of mushrooms do you suggest using?
I use regular button mushrooms
Works perfect also with a fruit filling. Try it with apricots, cherries or plums.
Oh wow, this is such an interesting idea! Do you add some sugar to the potatoes?
Hi! This looks extremely delicious and I’d love to try it! What’s the prep time and cooking time?
Cook and prep time depend on many things. Including the time it takes to cook the potatoes and cool them.
Oh ok thank you for the info
This is Exactly what I was looking for. I am fasting right now and am looking into as many ideas as it is possible. Thank you!
I’m really glad you like this recipe. It is perfect for Lent
I just made this recipe, it was a huge hit. I improvised with instant mp and just used mushrooms, onion, garlic and spices. One pack of m.p. made 5 nice sized cakes, I baked them how you suggested and then broiled for 2 min. Served on a bed of oily, Mediterranean spiced rice and topped the glorious mound with the remaining mushroom mixture, served with a side of mixed veg. Its going in my file as a definite keeper! Thank you!
I made these tonight and they were delish! Had a bit of trouble trying so I switched pans to my cast iron and all was well. I made them with a vegan butternut squash soup. They were good together
I always have potatoes and I’m always looking for a great vegan recipe. This was amazing. I always wait to use my mushrooms until the last minute before they go bad.
This was a perfect recipe for tonight…Thank you so much!!!