6 Best Ways to Use Leftover Mashed Potatoes

Revitalising leftover food is easier said than done. Often it just looks so unappetising. And no matter how tasty they might have been the first time round, few foods can simply be reheated to anywhere near the same standard. In many cases, your best bet is to reimagine the dish entirely.

If that sounds tricky, don’t worry. We’ve got you covered. And with the festive season – also known as leftover season – coming up, where better to get started than with mashed potatoes?

Below we’ve compiled some of the best leftover mashed potato recipes from Fine Dining Lovers and elsewhere. But don’t forget, you can also find tips for using other Thanksgiving leftovers here and other Christmas leftovers here.

Mashed potatoes leftover recipes and ideas

Let’s face it, simply reheating mashed potatoes is a waste of time. Even if it’s only for a minute in the microwave, they’ll never reach the same silky texture from the night before. Depending on their original state and your preferred reheating method, you will likely end up with a dry and clumpy brick of potato or a soggy, unappetising mess.

So grab a pan and see what else you have in the pantry. You might be surprised by just how versatile refrigerated mashed potatoes can be.

Mashed potato pancakes

This potatoey twist on standard pancakes makes an equally satisfying alternative to the breakfast classic – and yes, they also taste great with maple syrup. You can learn to make them from scratch here, but we’ve adapted it for your ready made mashed potatoes below.

Ingredients

650 g (approx.) leftover mashed potatoes
3 tbsp flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
125 ml milk (lower or skip if mashed potatoes already contain milk)
6 eggs
75 g sugar
A pinch of salt
A pinch of nutmeg
Clarified butter for frying
Butter and maple syrup for serving

Instructions

Add the flour and the baking powder to the mashed potatoes.

Mix together the milk (if mashed potatoes aren’t already milky), eggs and sugar, and season with a pinch of salt and nutmeg.

Pour the mixture into the potatoes, mix together well, and leave to rest for 20 minutes.

Mix again and then shape into small pancakes (8–10 cm diameter).

Fry the pancake patties in the hot clarified butter until golden brown.

Serve on a plate with a knob of butter and drizzled with maple syrup.

Fried mashed potatoes

If you’re after something more savoury, you can’t go wrong with this recipe for bubble and squeak. Once again, we’ve adapted the original recipe for your leftover mashed potatoes.

Ingredients

750 g (approx.) leftover mashed potatoes
1 small savoy cabbage, cut into strips
3–4 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, finely chopped
125 ml milk (lower or skip if mashed potatoes already contain milk)
25 g butter (lower or skip if mashed potatoes already contain butter)
Salt and black pepper

Instructions

Boil the cabbage in salted water for 5 minutes. Drain well and set aside.

Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the onion for about 5 minutes until softened.

Put the potatoes and cabbage together in a large mixing bowl. If your leftover mashed potatoes don’t already contain milk and butter, add the milk and butter now. Season well with salt and pepper. Mix everything thoroughly.

Add the potato mixture to the frying pan, spreading it and pushing it down, so that the mixture covers the base of the pan.

Cook for 7–10 minutes until the base is golden brown. Turn over and cook the other side for a further 7–10 minutes until golden brown.

Mashed potato cakes

Mashed potato cakes make a great savoury breakfast alternative to the mashed potato pancakes featured earlier, but also work well as a dinner table side dish for later in the day. And yes, you could even serve them to guests. This recipe comes courtesy of Rachel at the Feast and Farm blog.

Ingredients

450–500 g well-seasoned, leftover mashed potatoes
6 tbsp spring onions, finely chopped
83 g all purpose flour
1 egg
½ tsp salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
3 tbsp milk
5 tbsp canola oil for frying

Instructions

Mix the potatoes, onions, flour, egg, salt, pepper and milk in a medium bowl. The mixture should be thick enough to just about cling to your mixing spoon. If it's too thin, add a little more flour. If it’s too stiff, add a little more milk.

Heat the oil in a wide frying pan over a medium heat. Heap tablespoons of the potato mixture into the pan and spread them with the back of your spoon.

Cook until golden on each side (about 5 minutes per side). Serve warm or cool to room temperature and refrigerate for later.

Soup with mashed potatoes

When considering what to do with your leftover mashed potatoes, making soup might not be your first thought. But why not? We love this recipe from PalatablePastime at Food.com.

Ingredients

350–400 g leftover mashed potatoes
2 tbsp butter or bacon drippings
1 medium onion, chopped
150–200 g fresh mushrooms, chopped
430 ml chicken stock
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
½ sweet paprika
110 g cheddar cheese, grated
2 spring onions, finely chopped
3 slices bacon, cooked crispy and crumbled
2 tbsp sour cream
2 tbsp cream

Instructions

In a large saucepan, cook onion in butter or dripping until softened.

Add chopped mushrooms and cook until tender and onion is golden.

Pour chicken broth into the pan and stir in the salt, pepper, and paprika.

Blend in the leftover mashed potatoes, stirring until the lumps are all gone.

Bring soup to a boil, then lower heat and add cheddar cheese, stirring until it is melted and smooth.

Mix in spring onions, crumbled bacon, sour cream, and cream. Stir until heated through but avoid bringing to the boil.

Leftover mashed potato casserole

This delicious recipe comes courtesy of Ann at the Fountain Avenue Kitchen blog. Alternatively, if you’ve got a full set of Thanksgiving leftovers to use up, click here to learn how to turn them into a full Thanksgiving leftover casserole.

Ingredients

650–700 g leftover mashed potatoes
120 g sour cream or plain Greek yoghurt
2 eggs
½ tsp onion powder (optional)
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
110 g cheddar cheese, grated
Salt and pepper to taste
Parsley or sliced spring onions to garnish

Instructions

Heat the oven to 175°C (350°F) and grease a 20 cm square baking dish or 23 cm round pie dish.

Whisk the eggs in a mixing bowl. Stir in the sour cream or Greek yoghurt, followed by the onion powder, salt and pepper. Add the potatoes and stir to combine.

Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared baking dish, and sprinkle with the bacon and cheese.

Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are just set in the centre. Garnish with the parsley or green onions and serve.

Mashed potatoes fritters

These fritters, courtesy of Carrie’s Experimental Kitchen, are similar to the mashed potato cakes already mentioned, but with a sharper taste owing to the addition of cheddar cheese and bacon. Consequently, they’re more suited to being a standalone meal.

Ingredients