These are essentially potato pancakes made from the chive-onion base, fried until the edges crisp and char. The cream cheese keeps them tender inside while they brown outside, and the whole thing comes together faster than you'd make the potatoes from scratch.

Serves 2. 20 minutes, 18 at the stove.

About 230 calories a serving, 5 g protein, 14 g carbohydrate, 17 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

Cook mode

1. Crack one egg into a bowl, add three tablespoons of flour, a pinch of salt, and a pinch of pepper, and stir until combined. Fold in the entire container of mashed potatoes until no flour streaks remain. The batter will be thick and stiff.
2. Set a skillet over medium-high heat and add two tablespoons of oil. Once it shimmers and moves easily when you tilt the pan, divide the potato mixture in half and shape each half into a thick, rough cake about the size of your fist, then gently flatten it to one-half inch thick.
3. Slide both cakes into the hot oil and let them sit undisturbed until the underside is deep golden brown and crisp at the edges, about four to five minutes. You'll hear gentle sizzling at the edges when they're done on the first side.5 min
4. Flip each cake carefully and cook the second side until it matches the first, another three to four minutes. The cakes are done when both sides are evenly browned and crisp.4 min

Note Serve these with a fried egg on top or alongside a salad to stretch them into a full meal. They're best eaten hot and straight from the pan, though leftovers keep in a sealed container for two days and can be reheated in a 350°F [175°C] oven for five minutes.