18 Ways to Use Up Leftover Mashed Potatoes

When it comes to the most versatile, most leftover-friendly Thanksgiving dish, we’re happy to pick a side: mashed potatoes. Not only are they the most universally loved Thanksgiving staple, but mashed potatoes can be repurposed into dozens of different recipes after the holiday. This year, make an abundance of mashed potatoes–and know that once the leftover turkey-and-stuffing sandwich honeymoon is over, you’ll have plenty of extra mash to turn into everything from soup to bread and beyond. 

CONSIDER BREAKFAST

While you’ll often find potatoes at the breakfast table in the form of hash browns and home fries, mashed potatoes deserve a seat, as well. If you own a waffle iron, try mashed potato waffles by mixing leftover spuds with flour and egg (about 2 tablespoons flour and 1 egg per cup of potatoes) and any additional mix-ins (we like cheese, scallions and cooked bacon), then scoop the batter into your waffle iron and let it do the rest of the work. 

You can make mashed potato pancakes in a similar fashion: For every 2 cups of mashed potatoes, add 1 egg and 2 tablespoons of flour, then stir in any additional ingredients (again, cheese, herbs and precooked meat are all winners). Shape the mixture into patties and fry in a HexClad fry pan or griddle with a bit of oil. You’ll end up with pancakes that are crispy on the outside, creamy in the middle and substantial enough to comprise an entire meal. 

SOUP DREAMS

For lunch, leftover spuds make the base for a creamy potato soup. Grab a HexClad saucepan, sweat some onions, garlic and leeks in olive oil or butter, then add the mashed potatoes and enough vegetable broth, chicken stock and/or milk to thin it out a bit. Simmer everything for a few minutes, then puree the soup with a blender until smooth, adjust seasoning, and thin it out with additional liquid, if necessary. You can serve this soup more elegantly with a dollop of crème fraîche or sour cream and some chopped herbs on top, or load it up with cheese, crumbled bacon, and other toppings to make it a meal.

You know what’s great with soup? Bread! More specifically, potato bread. You can use leftover mashed potatoes in several styles of potato bread, from yeasted German kartoffelbrot to the Irish soda bread farls to a basic (but more flavorful) sandwich loaf. You can also add mashed potatoes to your favorite buttermilk biscuit recipe. (Add the potatoes to the flour mixture before stirring in the buttermilk). 

DUMPLINGS & PIE

Speaking of Ireland, it’s no surprise that the potato-obsessed country has several recipes that call for mashed potatoes. Your leftover práta can top a shepherd’s pie, be mixed with cabbage to make colcannon (or its more crispy British cousin, bubble and squeak) or combined with flour and grated potatoes to become the traditional Irish potato pancake called boxty. 

The dumpling family is full of mashed potato-friendly recipes. Both pierogies and knishes can be filled with mashed potatoes, or you can make them the star of the show in potato dumplings: mix mashed potatoes with eggs, onion, and potato starch (or flour), roll into balls and simmer until puffed and cooked through. Potato croquettes are made in a similar fashion, though breaded and deep fried instead of poached. But perhaps the easiest (and best?) potato dumpling is gnocchi, which requires only three ingredients: potato, flour and egg. You’ll need 1 egg and about 1 cup of flour per cup of leftover mash.

SO EXTRA

If you’re just in the mood for more mashed potatoes—but with a little something extra—grab some Swiss or Gruyère cheese and make pommes aligot, a French dish that’s basically extra-rich and cheesy mashed potatoes. Also easy and cheesy is a potato gattò (often spelled potato gateau), an Italian dish that layers mashed potatoes with cheese and charcuterie (often mozzarella and salami) in a baking dish. 

Lastly, if you can’t make up your mind about what to make with your surfeit of spuds, just freeze them (we love this technique) and decide later!