Mashed potatoes are a staple at many holiday meals, and they’re usually something that’s made in abundance, so everyone can have plenty. Unfortunately, the result of making so many mashed potatoes is that you often wind up with a healthy dose of leftovers.
On the whole, leftover mashed potatoes are fine on their own, but it can get boring to eat mashed potatoes with several meals in a row. That’s why mashed potatoes are perfect for a little bit of food experimentation. They’re a flexible staple that you often have in heaps right after the holidays.
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Here are six creative ways to use those leftover potatoes.
Make potato pancakes. Potato pancakes make for a great side dish for almost any meal, including breakfast. They’re simple, too. Just mix a cup of mashed potatoes, an egg and two tablespoons of flour together for each pancake. Flavor that mix with a bit of salt, black pepper and any spices you like — or add a dash of shredded cheese. Form it into a disc and fry it in a pan with a bit of oil over medium heat until both sides are browned.
Make shepherd’s pie. Shepherd’s pie is basically a collection of meat, vegetables and gravy that’s placed into the bottom of a baking pan and covered with a layer of leftover mashed potatoes. It’s a great way to reuse leftovers of all kinds. Take two cups of whatever kind of broth best suits the meat that you have, heat it in a skillet until near boiling. In a small bowl, mix one-quarter cup of cold water with two tablespoons of corn starch and stir thoroughly, then add this mix to the broth and stir until it all thickens. Boom … instant gravy. Put a layer of whatever cooked meat and veggies you like on the bottom of a 9-inch by 13-inch pan, pour the gravy on top, add a layer of mashed potatoes atop that and bake for half an hour at 350 degrees.
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Make quiche. Mashed potatoes actually make a wonderful quiche crust for a hearty breakfast. Just spray down a pie pan and make a “crust” by pressing mashed potatoes into the pan. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, then mix together four eggs, a cup and a half of milk or heavy whipping cream, and then whatever ingredients you’d like — mushrooms, bits of ham and other vegetables. Keep it to about two cups of additional ingredients. Fill up the “crust” with these ingredients and bake for about 40 minutes or until the middle of the quiche is firm.
Make gnocchi. Gnocchi is a firm type of pasta that often uses potatoes as part of the recipe. Just mix together two cups of flour, one cup of mashed potatoes and one egg (multiply as needed). Knead this until it forms a ball of dough, adding just a bit of water if needed. Form this dough into “worms” or “snakes” that are about half an inch across, then cut these “worms” into half-inch segments. Heat six cups of water to boiling, then toss in the raw gnocchi. Boil for about four minutes or until the gnocchi are floating, then strain and serve with pasta sauce.
Make an omelet. This seems unusual, but it actually makes for a very hearty breakfast. Just beat together three eggs and two tablespoons of milk, then pour this into a small skillet (either a nonstick skillet or one with a bit of oil) over medium heat. Allow this layer to cook, then add mashed potatoes and other toppings, such as ham cubes or cheese, to half of the egg, then fold the other top on half and serve. It’s surprisingly delicious and definitely a hearty way to start the day.
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Make biscuits. One final trick is to incorporate your leftover mash into a simple biscuit recipe. Just add the taters to give your biscuits a special texture and flavor. Biscuits are easy. All you need is two and a half cups of flour, one and a half cups of mashed potatoes, two tablespoons of baking powder, a teaspoon of salt, a quarter cup of sugar, half a stick of cold butter, a beaten egg and between a half cup and a full cup of buttermilk. As always, mix the dry solids (flour, baking powder, salt and sugar) first, then add the moist solids (butter, then mashed potatoes) next, a little bit at a time, mixing thoroughly as you add them. After that, add the liquids. Add the buttermilk last while mixing, stopping at half a cup and then continuing to add a bit more at a time until the dough just barely holds together (if you add too much, add a little flour). Roll this dough out flat until it’s half an inch thick, cut it into 2-inch squares, then put them on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake them for 20 minutes at 450 degrees. You’ll have some amazing, filling biscuits.
Leftover mashed potatoes can be used in so many ways. Don’t just settle for a dry addition to a plate of leftovers. Use them creatively and you’ll be amazed at the results.
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6 Uses for Leftover Holiday Mashed Potatoes originally appeared on usnews.com
