Baked Bubble and squeak cakes are a quick, budget-friendly way to use up Christmas leftovers. Made with leftover mashed potatoes, savoy cabbage, carrot and onion, they’re perfect for a delicious Boxing Day meal.
Side dishes are really important on any holiday table. Take a look at many more in our Christmas collection.
My easy bubble and squeak cakes recipe (Baked!)
This is my take on bubble and squeak cakes that is simply easy to make and baked in the oven. Crispy on the outside, soft and savoury on the inside, these potato cakes are a delicious option for any meal!
Although pan fried ones are delicious, I prefer to make baked ones because they have got very little hands on time while I can get on with other dishes.
Many supermarkets, including Waitrose, Tesco, Morrisons, Lidl, Asda, Sainsbury's and M&S sell frozen bubble and squeak cakes that you can bake or air fry. However, making them at home is so much cheaper, even if its from scratch or leftovers with fresher and better-tasting results!
To make these bubble and squeak patties, you'll need only 5 minutes of hands-on time to prep from the leftovers of Christmas Dinner, slightly longer if you are making from scratch. You just need to combine the ingredients, with a few more for flavouring, shape in to patties and cook.
How simple it is, isn't it!
Ingredients
- Potatoes: Boiled and mashed from scratch, or use any leftover potatoes you have—air fryer roasted potatoes, hasselback potatoes, mashed or boiled.
- Vegetables: I love using green cabbage specially buttered savoy cabbage and carrots, but any leftover roasted veggies work well.
- Onion: Sautéed white onion or chopped green onion both add great flavor.
- Garlic: I usually add 1 clove of minced garlic for extra flavor, though it’s optional.
- Milk: Use dairy free or any milk of your choice. It helps in binding the mixture together.
- Butter: If you’re using already mashed potatoes, they may already be buttery, so feel free to skip this. But if you’re starting from scratch, a bit of butter adds a nice touch.
- Salt & Pepper
- Cheese: Optional Any dairy-free cheese or grated cheddar adds amazing flavor to the mix.
Make Oven Baked Bubble and Squeak Cakes from Christmas Leftovers
Sauté onion and garlic in a pan.
Mix the mashed potatoes with the sautéed onion, garlic, and leftover cooked veggies (carrots and cabbage).
Roll into balls, flatten, and shape into patties. Then dust the bubble and squeak cakes in plain flour and Place on a baking dish. Bake at 200C for 30-35 minutes or until golden and crispy or air fry the bubble and squeak for convenience.
Serve hot and enjoy!
How to make Bubble and Squeak cakes in a pan?
Yes, it's super easy! Simply heat some oil or butter in a pan, then add your shaped Bubble and Squeak cakes. Fry them for about 4-5 minutes on each side until they're golden and crispy.
How to freeze Bubble and Squeak cakes?
After shaping the bubble and squeak into patties and dusting them with flour, set aside the ones you want to save for later. Place them in a freezer-safe container, label, and store them in the freezer. When you're ready, simply cook them—it's almost as good as making them fresh, and super convenient for a quick meal!.
Can You Cook Bubble and Squeak From Frozen?
Yes! It’s actually really easy to do, so no need to worry if you realised you left them in the freezer. It’s actually not much different from thawed bubble and squeak. The only real difference is that it takes a bit longer, and that you need to take them out halfway through to separate them.
Bake the frozen bubble and squeak cakes in a preheat the oven at 200°C (400°F) for 25-30 minutes minutes or until crispy and golden.
How to Make Baked Bubble and Squeak Cakes from scratch?
- Boil and mash the potatoes.
- Sauté the onion and garlic in a separate pan.
- Simultaneously cook shredded cabbage and carrot with water in a saucepan covered, until softened; then drain. Transfer to a towel and squeeze all the extra water.
- Add drained veggies, onions, potatoes, milk, salt and pepper to the mixture.
- Shape into patties, dust with flour, brush with oil, and bake in the oven until golden.
Variations
It’s easy to customise a bubble and squeak recipe! Aim for a 75:25 balance—use 75% potatoes, and the remaining 25% can be any of the roasted or boiled veggies. I add onion and garlic for flavouring.
When using leftover Christmas dinner ingredients, I add roasted veggies from my Christmas traybake. Other times, I mix in greens, roasted broccoli, air fried cabbage steaks, carrots, peas, Brussels sprouts, or whatever leftover veg is at hand.
But feel free to get creative! Try adding carrots, Brussels sprouts, parsnips, sweet corn, diced sweet potato or sautéed leeks.
Add fresh herbs like green onion, or chives.
Tips to make the best bubble and squeak cakes
- Always make sure there are more mashed potatoes than vegetables in the mixture. This is essential for the cakes to hold their shape and not fall apart.
- If the cakes still aren't retaining their shape, add some mashed potato flakes. They’re great for thickening any mashed potato dish, like Indian aloo tikki.
- If you don’t mind using an egg, adding one to the mixture can help bind the ingredients together effectively.
- Experiment with additional flavorings for variations. For a cheesy bubble and squeak, try adding grated cheddar cheese.
What to Serve with Bubble and Squeak Cakes
I love bubble and squeak cakes for an easy brunch, a side dish, or even a quick weeknight dinner. My favorite way to serve them is with air-fried vegan sausages and savoy cabbage, or sometimes with a dollop of sour cream and chives.
Other ideas I enjoy:
- For brunch, pair with tomatoes, air fried mushrooms, baked beans, air fryer sausages, and fried eggs
- For a quick snack, it’s always with tomato ketchup, but my family loves HP sauce—such a British classic!
- As a side with a holiday roast.
- Inside a wrap or burger bun - so good!
- With a drizzle of onion gravy or mushroom gravy.
Storing leftover bubble and squeak cakes
- In the fridge: Store any leftovers in air tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a pan or oven for crispy cakes or in the microwave.
- In the freezer: Cool the bubble and squeak cakes and transfer to freezer safe container, label and store in the freezer for later use.
Recipe FAQ's
The name comes from the "bubbling" and "squeaking" sounds made when cooking the mashed potatoes and vegetables in a hot pan just like potato rosti's. The moisture in the ingredients causes this sound as it sizzles in the oil traditionally used for frying.
If your bubble and squeak is falling apart, it’s likely because there isn’t enough mashed potato to hold everything together. The mashed potato acts as a glue, binding the vegetables into a firm cake.
Not really. I find that for bubble and squeak, you want a golden and crispy top, so it's best to cook it in the oven or air fryer. You can use the microwave to reheat it afterward if needed.
I like to use potatoes that are great for mashing. In my opinion, Yukon Golds are the best because they strike the perfect balance between starchy and waxy. If you’re in the UK, Rooster, Desiree, Maris Piper, and King Edward are excellent choices as well. I wouldn’t recommend Russet potatoes for this dish; they tend to get too waterlogged, resulting in a soggy and bland mash.
Bubble and squeak is primarily an English dish. The Irish have their own simple dishes called colcannon and champ, while the Scottish have a traditional dish called rumbledethumps, all of which are quite similar.
Yes, you can absolutely air fry bubble and squeak cakes! In fact, it's a quicker alternative to oven-baking. Simply shape your bubble and squeak mixture into cakes, spray lightly with oil, and pop them in the air fryer. They’ll cook faster, turn out crispy on the outside, and stay soft on the inside. If you're looking for a no-fuss way to enjoy this classic dish, air frying bubble and squeak cakes is the way to go.
Love this recipe, you will also love these Vegetarian Christmas recipes
- Christmas Gratin
- Brussel sprouts gratin
- Veggie Sausage Traybake
- Christmas Trimmings Traybake
- Sage and onion stuffing balls
- Smashed potatoes
- Garam masala and Honey Glazed carrots
Easy Baked Bubble and Squeak recipe below
Ingredients
- 600 g leftover mashed potatoes
- 2 tablespoon oil
- 1 white onion diced
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 200 g leftover cooked vegetables savoy cabbage and carrots
- 45 ml milk
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Plain Flour for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan over low heat. Add the diced onion and minced garlic, cooking for 4–5 minutes until translucent.1 white onion, 1 garlic clove, 2 tablespoon oil
- Turn off the heat and combine the cooked vegetables, mashed potatoes, onion, garlic, milk, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Use your hands to mix everything together until well combined.600 g leftover mashed potatoes, 200 g leftover cooked vegetables, Salt and Pepper to taste, 45 ml milk
- Using an ice cream scoop, shape the mixture into balls, then flatten into patties. Dust them lightly with flour and arrange on a baking tray.Plain Flour for dusting
- Brush the patties with the remaining oil and bake the bubble and squeak cakes for 30-35 minutes, or until crispy and golden. Serve hot and enjoy!2 tablespoon oil
- Freeze any portion you want to enjoy for later. You can do it after step 4. Cooking instructions for cooking bubble and squeak cakes from frozen is mentioned in the notes below.
Notes
How to Make Bubble and Squeak Cakes from Scratch
- Boil and mash 600g potatoes.
- Sauté the onion and garlic in a separate pan.
- Add 200g veggie (sliced cabbage and carrot) with water in a sauce pan and cook until softened; then drain.
- Add drained veggies, onions, potatoes, milk, salt and pepper to the mixture.Shape the bubble and squeak cakes into burger patties, dust with flour, brush with oil, and bake in the oven until golden.
How to cook Bubble and Squeak cakes from frozen?
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
- Place the frozen cakes on a baking tray lined with parchment paper or lightly greased.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, turning halfway through, until they are crispy and golden on the outside.
- Keep in mind, cooking time will vary depending upon the thickness and size of the cakes.
Shanthi says
Sounds interesting and the recipe is very unique. I have to try this recipe.
RAKS KITCHEN says
Sounds good and a healthy take with all those vegetables, nice recipe Sandhya!
An Open Book says
I love an easy British grub. This is something I would really like to make.
Kairali sisters says
Amamzing presentation and very well explained ...Thanx Sandy...
Sanjeeta kk says
Lovely explanation for an easy to make mashed potato.
Jay says
Bubble and Squeak patty came out really well. I made in on the pan.
Anu says
This was really yummy.. We tried it with white cabbage instead of savoy cabbage and also added a bit of green chillies.
kothiyavunu.com says
Nice recipe, beautifully presented!!
Pavithra says
Looks so delicious with awesome pictures sandhya....
Nithya says
I can live on potatoes.. Yummy 🙂 they look perfect and your version is way tempting 🙂
Akila says
so lovely dish.... simply love it...
Kalyani says
looks delicious and interesting .... lovely pictures ...........