Stuffed potato pancakes

This is another recipe I found going through my e-mails.  It too is from allrecipes.com.  I did not like this one as well as the soup though.  I had many problems with it.  Maybe because I'm no expert at potato pancakes or something, but it was just way too much work for results I was less than thrilled with.  First of all I followed the recipe exactly for the potato part.  For the meat, I didn't have an onion so I added onion powder.  I used 8 potatoes, but that seemed like a lot for the amount of meat that I had.  I also thought the potato mixture was a bit runny.  They didn't stay together well like a pancake which made the whole putting them together a bit difficult.
Today I went and reread the reviews on allrecipes and cam away feeling like I don't know how to cook.  No one else mentions the potato part being so runny. I wonder if it is just lack of experience with potato pancakes.  Maybe I was supposed to dry my potatoes after shredding?  I'm sure if the thought ever crosses my mind to try these again I will shred my potatoes with the fine side of my shredder, not the thicker.  That would let them cook better (some potato pieces were not completely cooked even thought he meat was)  and maybe form into better "pancakes."  The picture I was looking at had shredded cheese on top and I mistook that for the thickness of the potatoes.  I also think I would not use 8 potatoes unless they were all very tiny.  Or use 8 potatoes and 1 lb. of beef.  I had to make a second batch of meat even after making some very large pancakes on my second batch.

Here is how I made them.

Ingredients

• 8 potatoes, peeled and shredded (would only use 5 or 6 next time)
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• pepper to taste
• garlic seasoning (added after the first batch)

Filling

• 1/2 pound ground beef
• onion powder (I just poured)
• garlic salt (I also just poured some on -1/4-1/2 teaspoon?)
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs

• 2 teaspoon vegetable oil

Directions

1. Mix together potatoes, flour, baking powder, 3 eggs, salt and pepper in a bowl.  I whisked everything but the potatoes then mixed them in.)  In another bowl, mix ground beef, onion powder, garlic salt, egg and bread crumbs.
2. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-low heat, and drop a rounded tablespoon of potato mixture into the hot skillet.  Spread and flatten the pancake out a little, and place about 2 teaspoons of beef mixture on the pancake, spreading the filling out almost to the edges of the pancake.  Drop another rounded tablespoon of potato mixture on top of the beef and spread it out to completely cover the beef.  Fry until the bottom of the pancake is golden brown, about 5 minutes, then flip and fry the other side until golden, 1-2 more minutes.  (we fried equal minutes on both sides to completely cook the potatoes. 

Good luck.  Like I said, they were well rated on allrecipes.  Their flavor was ok, I just didn't like how the potato pancake part worked.  If you have any pointers let me know.

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