Cheddar Ham Potato Cakes

Cheddar Ham Potato Cakes 1/2 cup diced onion 2 cloves garlic 2 tbsp olive oil salt an pepper to season 4 cups cold mashed potato 1 1/2 cups diced ham 1/2 to 3/4 inch dice 1 cup cheddar cheese diced to about 1/4 inch canola oil for frying cup flour for rolling cakes. About 3/4 Boil potatoes until fork tender, mash them well without adding butter ofr cream. Allow to cool to room temperature or colder. Warm potatoes make the cakes more difficult to form. Sauté the garlic and onions in the olive oil, in a small pan over medium heat. Add to a bowl with all the potatoes, ham and cheese. Form onto 8 equal sized balls and then pat them to about 1 inch thickness. Dip the cakes in flour to coat them, then place them on a parchment paper covered plate or tray. Cover the bottom of a cast iron or non-stick frying pan with canola oil. Heat on medium for a few minutes before adding the cakes a few at a time. Don't crowd the pan or it will make it more difficult to keep the cakes intact. Let them brown very well on one side before gently flipping them over to brown for an equal amount of time on the other side. 4-5 minutes should do it but the browner the better and the easier they will be to flip. Transfer to a cookie sheet if making multiple batches and hold in a 200 degree F oven until all of the cakes are fried. Serve immediately.