If you’re wondering what in the world to do with the ridiculously large bag of potatoes that you bought last week and still haven’t opened, we are here to help. Potatoes are one of the most versatile ingredients you can cook with, and there are so many delicious and innovative ways you can incorporate them into a variety of dishes. From simple hash browns for breakfast to luxurious potatoes au gratin for date night to even a dessert (yes, really!), your trusty bag of spuds is capable of so much more than just mashing.
Join us as we take a look at a wide array of the mouthwatering ways in which potatoes can be used in the kitchen, allowing you to provide a bevy of hearty meals that are packed full of flavor. Grab your potato peeler and get ready to uncover the hidden potential of this humble pantry staple.
Loaded potato skins
Put your potatoes to good use by making a crowd-pleasing comfort dish: loaded potato skins. Sitting somewhere between a filling snack and a light meal, these beauties can be served for lunch, as an appetizer, or as part of a buffet for a family gathering. They are endlessly customizable and are sure to keep everyone happy.
For a classic loaded potato skins recipe, you need to start with a few halved baked potatoes. Scoop out a bit more than half of the insides, leaving enough potato to create the base. Add some grated cheese, crispy bacon, and whatever other fillings you fancy, before baking them for around five minutes or until the cheese melts. You can upgrade your potato skins with any ingredient you like, from crunchy bell peppers to pulled pork. Once the filling has cooked, serve with a dollop of sour cream and enjoy.
Spanish tortilla
Tortilla Española, or Spanish omelet, is a potato and egg dish that makes a delicious light meal or can be part of a tapas spread. You can opt for the classic version with just potatoes, onions, and eggs, or you can add a variety of fresh produce to jazz it up.
The tortilla can be cooked in one pan, making it a great quick dinner when you’re short on time midweek. Thinly sliced potatoes are layered with an onion mixture, and then the eggs are poured over the ingredients to bind everything together.
You can add mushrooms, asparagus, or cheese into the mix to enhance the flavor, and you can switch up the flavors each week to keep it interesting. Serve your tortilla with a fresh green salad and some crusty bread for a Spanish-inspired meal that will keep the whole family satisfied.
Aloo curry
If you’re looking to add zest to your potatoes, try spicy aloo curry — a dish that is full of vibrant flavors and delicious warmth. The term “aloo” is an Indian word for potato, so this curry really does put the humble spud front and center.
When making curry, the key is to toast the spices perfectly — in this case, cumin and optional ginger. A flavorsome broth is then made by adding onions, garlic, chile pepper, turmeric, and stock, and the potatoes will soak up all the delicious flavors as they simmer in the mixture for half an hour. The beauty of this dish is that it needs only a few minutes of active cooking, before you leave the simmering mixture to develop its aromatic flavors, allowing you to get other things done or put your feet up in the meantime.
You may not need rice with this particular curry, since the potatoes are pretty filling. Serve it simply with a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkling of fresh herbs.
Fish cakes
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For a dish that’s easy to whip up and full of protein and healthy fats, use your bag of potatoes to make some delicious fish cakes. The beauty of this simple dish is that you can add any fish you have available — salmon, bass, or even canned tuna. The potatoes will need to be mashed for the fish cakes, making this a great dish for when you have leftover mash too.
Making fish cakes with potatoes means you don’t have to breadcrumb them, so less time is wasted dipping fragile patties in egg, flour, and breadcrumbs, then watching in despair as they fall apart. The potato version is more robust and will crisp up nicely in the pan to create a golden crust. The lack of breadcrumbs also means they can be gluten-free.
Fish cakes can be served on their own as lunch or with a green salad for a tasty midweek meal. Fresh dill goes well with fish, so add some to mayonnaise or sour cream to create a tangy dip to serve alongside them.
Hasselback potatoes
Sometimes, you may want to use your potatoes simply to make a side dish to go with your evening meal, but that doesn’t mean you have to resort to a bland option. Hasselback potatoes are a great way to add some flair to your spuds, and they don’t take much effort to make.
To make Hasselback potatoes, take a small or medium-sized potato and make cuts into it that don’t quite go all the way through. The accordion effect will allow the potato to become tender inside but with a crispy exterior, creating a delicious texture contrast.
To elevate the flavor, you can add garlic butter or slivers of cheese between the slices before roasting the spuds. Hasselback potatoes make a fancy accompaniment to any entree, or a great snack for a garden party or game day.
Tartiflette
Let’s head over to the French Alps now for luxurious tartiflette, the cheesy French potato dish featuring bacon and onions. There’s very little not to like in this delicious French classic.
Essentially, tartiflette is a fancy version of potatoes au gratin, but the addition of bacon really elevates the super-savory flavors. Technically, a classic tartiflette should always be made with reblochon cheese, but since this Alpine dairy specialty’s short aging time means that it’s banned in the U.S., you may need to consider an alternative.
The key is to choose a cheese that has a fairly mild flavor and melts beautifully. Camembert and Brie are both delicious French alternatives, but Italian fontina would also do a great job. Whatever cheese you decide to go with, this comforting potato dish will make a great cozy meal to enjoy with loved ones.
Potato soup
As comforting bowls of food go, potato soup has to be up there with the best of them. Whether it’s a rustic, chunky soup filled with hearty vegetables, or a silky-smooth, creamy version, this dish is easy to cook and guaranteed to leave you feeling satisfied.
There are so many customizable potato soup recipes to suit varied dietary requirements, budgets, or preferences of your family. From a vegan potato and leek soup to a miniature feast in a bowl loaded with cream and bacon, you can personalize the recipe to suit any occasion. Fresh and dried herbs are crucial components, with rosemary and thyme complementing the potatoes particularly well. Once you have created your steaming bowl of comfort, serve it with a slice of crusty bread for a delicious midweek meal.
Potato salad
Potato salad is a great cold dish to make with your bag of potatoes, and it can be served with so many different things. Whether you’re providing a huge bowl of it at your next garden party or plating it up with grilled chicken breast, this earthy and creamy side dish is a classic for a reason.
It’s the perfect way to use up extra boiled potatoes, but you can always cook them specifically for making this dish if you don’t have any leftovers. Potato salad can be simple, but the ways in which you can upgrade it are endless, meaning you can switch it up each time you make it. This creamy dill potato salad recipe provides a fresh note that makes it perfect for your next picnic — just be sure to make plenty, as it will be popular.
Fondant potatoes
It’s time to up your potato game and impress your dinner guests with a French classic — fondant potatoes. Sometimes called melting potatoes, this impressive side dish is easier to prepare than it looks, and definitely does justice to your bag of potatoes.
The key to cooking fondant potatoes is to cut the tubers into equal-sized pieces that look attractive — thick discs are the usual shape. They are then browned in butter before simmering in herb-filled stock until they are soft inside.
They can then be baked and served alongside roast meat, or a cauliflower steak if you want a plant-based option. The liquid from the pan can be poured over the top as a sauce.
Gnocchi
One dish you may not have considered making to use up your potatoes is pasta-like Italian gnocchi. These small dumplings are made with mashed potato and flour, and are much more straightforward to make at home than pasta.
While there are several mistakes everyone makes with homemade gnocchi, the dish doesn’t require many ingredients — cooled mashed potatoes, white flour, and an egg if you wish. The eggs are a traditional binding ingredient in some regions of Italy, but are excluded in others. You can add whatever seasonings you wish, including Parmesan cheese and fresh or dried herbs.
There are plenty of options for a simple sauce to match the gnocchi. Browned garlic butter is as easy as it gets, and is a delicious light option, while a more robust marinara sauce would also make a straightforward meal.
Colcannon
If you’re fed up with boring old mashed potatoes, upgrade the dish by turning it into a classic colcannon instead. A traditional Irish specialty, colcannon combines potatoes, cabbage, and green onions to create a wonderfully comforting dish.
Making a traditional Irish colcannon recipe is not difficult — start by whipping up mashed potatoes as you normally would, before sautéing cabbage (or another leafy green like kale) with green onions and optional herbs. Once the veggies have cooked, fold them into the mashed potatoes and thoroughly mix them to make sure they reach every mouthful.
Colcannon can be served with any entree, but it goes especially well with anything that has a gravy or sauce. Be sure to serve it with butter on top to create an indulgent, rich texture as it melts.
Patatas bravas
To put a Spanish twist on your potato dish, consider whipping up some patatas bravas. Topping the list of Spanish potato dishes you should try at least once, patatas bravas consists of crispy potatoes smothered in tomato sauce with slight heat. This is easy to prepare and will add zing to your midweek dinner.
The potatoes can be fried or roasted, but they should be chopped into equal-sized cubes before cooking to ensure they heat evenly and crisp up nicely. The salsa brava — made with tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, and paprika — has a complex flavor that really lifts the potatoes.
When your potatoes are ready, spoon the sauce over the top to allow it to soak into the crispy exterior of the potato cubes. Serve it as part of a bigger tapas platter, or simply as a side dish alongside an entree.
Potatoes au gratin
When it comes to side dishes, there are few more tempting than potatoes au gratin. Thinly sliced potatoes, a creamy sauce, and topped with grated cheese — does it get any better than that?
Technically, a potatoes au gratin recipe is made with previously cooked potatoes, whereas similar dauphinoise potatoes can be made with raw spuds. However, most people use the terms interchangeably, as there is little flavor difference between the two. Feel free to use cooked or raw sliced potatoes in your recipe, just remember to adjust the cooking time accordingly.
The choice of cheese topping is up to you, but Gruyère is a popular option and adds a delightfully nutty flavor to the dish. Parmesan or mature cheddar will also do a tasty job if you don’t have any Gruyère. Once the dish is bubbling and golden on top, it can be served with meat or fish to create a filling and mouthwatering meal.
Shepherd’s pie
Shepherd’s pie is a delicious rustic dish that will allow you to use up your potatoes in a flavorsome way. Originating in Britain, this is the ultimate in comfort food, but it’s nourishing enough that we can eat it often.
Traditionally, a shepherd’s pie recipe will contain lamb — a beef version of the dish is called cottage pie, though here in the States we tend to call both varieties shepherd’s pie. Either way, they are both topped with mashed potatoes that become golden and crispy when baked in the oven.
The ground meat is combined with a variety of vegetables, including peas and carrots, but you can add whatever veggies your family enjoys. A rich beef stock and a splash of Worcestershire sauce will reduce down to complete the dish with a rich gravy.
Hash browns
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If you are planning to have potatoes for breakfast, you may as well have them in the best possible form — as crispy, golden hash browns. They make a fabulous addition to a full cooked breakfast, alongside eggs, bacon, and sausages.
There are tips you should follow for crispy, evenly cooked hash browns, including making sure to squeeze all the liquid out of the potatoes after grating. Forgetting to do this could leave you with soggy hash browns — that’s not the kind of disappointment you want to start your Sunday morning with.
The choice of whether to include onions is up to you, but they can add a sweet flavor that works really well. Cook the hash browns in hot oil over medium heat to ensure the middle is cooked through before the outside starts to burn. Serve them hot, and enjoy an indulgent breakfast to get your day off to a great start.
Kartoffelbrot
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You may not be familiar with kartoffelbrot, the German bread made with mashed potatoes, but you should definitely consider making some if you have some spuds that need to be used up. This potato bread has a dense texture, unique flavor, and a satisfying crunchy crust.
The mashed potatoes are mixed with yeast and flour to create a dough that is stickier than you may be used to. This is a two-rise bread, so after it has risen you need to punch it down to get rid of the air and then let it rise for a second time.
Kartoffelbrot is an incredibly versatile bread with many uses. It makes a hearty sandwich with cured meats and cheese, or a delicious accompaniment to vegetable soup. The next time you’re thinking of making bread at home, grab your bag of potatoes and give it a try.
Potato chocolate cake
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No, this isn’t a joke — you can genuinely use leftover potatoes to make a decadent chocolate cake. In fact, adding spuds is actually a genius culinary move, as potatoes can elevate your chocolate cake by adding moisture, creating a soft, luxurious texture.
Your potatoes will need to be mashed, but don’t add any of the usual creamy ingredients like butter or milk. Make sure your mash is incredibly smooth, or use a potato ricer to help. Your silky mashed potatoes can then be incorporated into your cake mix, creating the optimum texture without altering the flavor.
The next time you’re having people over, treat them to a chocolate potato cake. They will be desperate to know your secret — and they won’t believe you when you tell them!
Latkes
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Latkes are traditional Jewish potato fritters often served during Hanukkah. They are simple to make, containing only a few ingredients, and can be served throughout the year as a side dish or delicious snack.
The main ingredients in classic latkes are grated potato, grated onion, eggs, and flour, mixed up together and then fried in hot oil. You can add garlic or herbs to enhance the flavor while creating a fritter that is super crispy on the outside and soft in the middle.
Classic accompaniments to latkes include sour cream or applesauce, but you can add whatever you want to make them into a meal, including smoked salmon or roast beef. Whether it’s breakfast, lunch, or dinner you are cooking, latkes are a great crowd-pleaser.
Potato croquettes
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For a totally versatile and delicious potato side dish that can also make a great snack, try some potato croquettes. Consisting of mashed potatoes coated in breadcrumbs and fried, they are easy to make and sure to keep the whole family happy.
The great thing about croquettes is that they can be so easily customized to suit whatever is in your fridge. While they taste perfectly good with simply potato as the filling, adding mature cheese, spring onions, or bacon (or why not all three?) can really take them to delicious new flavor heights.
They are also the perfect dish to get the family involved in making. The kids can roll the potato mix into balls or cylinders, then have fun dipping them in flour, egg, and breadcrumbs.
Chowder
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Chowder is a comforting creamy soup that often contains seafood, and adding potatoes will give it a fantastic texture that warms you up no matter how cold it is outside. The versatility of this soup means you can customize it for your family, whether with a sweet corn chowder or a classic clam version.
Potatoes contribute to the creamy nature of chowder by thickening it without overpowering the other delicate flavors. You can then add whatever additional ingredients you wish, from clams to sweet corn to chunks of assorted fish. No matter what you decide to add, just remember to include a splash of cream or a vegan cream alternative to create that traditional chowder consistency.
