A bit like with pasta or rice, we often tend to make more mashed potatoes to be sure not to run out. Result: even if the whole family loves this economical, quick and easy to make dish that inevitably reminds us of our childhood, there is always a little left over after the meal. So, unless you’re planning to make Shepherd’s pie or cod brandade the next day, there’s a good chance that this leftover mashed potatoes will end up in the freezer (where it can stay for up to three months)… or the trash, thus contributing to food waste, which sees tons of perfectly edible food ending up in the trash!
What if instead of throwing away your leftovers, we decided to reuse them in a creative way? There are indeed many recipes and anti-waste ideas based on mashed potatoes that will not give you the impression of eating it at every meal.
1) Pancakes made from leftover mashed potatoes
Add an egg and flour to your mash until you obtain a dough that is easy to shape into patties. You can then brown everything in a pan with a little butter. The advantage of this use of mashed potatoes is that you can add other ingredients to add more flavor. While some will add onions, ham, bacon bits and/or grated cheese for the gourmet side, others will enjoy incorporating a touch of nutmeg, pepper, aromatic herbs or spices. Very hot and served with a cottage cheese garnished with garlic and herbs, you will make short work of it!
2) An express potato omelette
If you don’t have much purée left (around 300 g), you can add 4 eggs, a little chives and a lick of milk, then cook everything in a small pan to obtain a very thick and generous omelet. This will make a nice side dish, but you can also serve your omelet with salad for a lighter meal.
3) Cromesquis with leftover mashed potatoes
Leftover muslin plaster can turn into crispy bites. A little in the same order of idea as for the pancakes, we add here flour, a whole egg, salt and pepper as well as the ingredients that make us want (gruyère, fromagerie or grated mozzarella, diced ham, onions, etc. Then, however, we will form very round balls of about 4 cm in diameter to bread with egg, flour and breadcrumbs.After 2 to 3 minutes in a fryer at 180°C, these croquettes will become golden brown and ready to eat. As an aperitif or for a light dish with salad, hard to do without it when we tested!
4) Homemade duchess potatoes
Here is one easy and eye-opening recipe ! To prepare them, you will obviously need mashed potatoes, but that’s not all. For 500 g of leftovers, add 4 egg yolks and 50 g of softened butter to your mixing bowl. Don’t forget to season with salt and pepper, then mix well with a spatula. While your oven is heating to 200°C, transfer your preparation into a 13 mm fluted piping bag (or a freezer bag, cut off one end for those less equipped!) and form your domes on a baking tray lined with baking paper. After 10 to 15 minutes in the oven, the time to brown them wellyou can go to the tasting.
5) Sweet or savory waffles with leftover mashed potatoes
In your leftover mashed potatoes, add flour, soft butter, 2 eggs and a sachet of yeast. This will serve as a base for savory waffles. To make sweet waffles, also add a little sugar to your liking. Form a dough that you can cook in a lightly oiled waffle iron. Finally, accompany everything with fresh cheese, salmon and salad. Otherwise, serve them with jam, fruit or icing sugar for the sweet version!
6) Donuts with leftover mashed potatoes
To make potato beignets, simply add flour, cooled melted butter, egg yolks and sugar to the leftover mash until smooth. very homogeneous and smooth paste. To bring more taste, it is possible to add a tablespoon of rum or Grand Marnier to the dough. All that remains is to roll it out, cut it into diamond shapes and put it all in the fryer. After absorbing excess oil with paper towel, be sure to roll your express donuts in powdered sugar. Gluttony is at the rendezvous and yet another proof if necessary that mashed potatoes are also available in sweet dishes.
7) Use leftovers to make soup
There’s nothing like a good, creamy, velvety potato soup to cheer you up after a long day. To do this, simply add vegetable or poultry broth to give the mash a creamy side. And of course, you can add all the vegetables you want (carrot, leek, celery, etc.) to this simple and quick to make soup. This will make it even more nourishing and light. You can serve this soup with croutons made from old bread rubbed with garlic to add crunch and further reduce waste at home!
8) A sweet potato cake
To change a little, present the mash… for dessert! To make a sweet potato cake, you need: 300 g of mashed potatoes, 120 g of softened butter, 3 eggs (with the egg whites whipped separately for more lightness), 150 g of powdered sugar, 125 g ground almonds, the zest of a lemon and 1 tablespoon of rum. Mix your ingredients well and add the egg whites last. Pour everything into a buttered mold sprinkled with vanilla sugar and bake for 30 to 45 minutes at 160°C. With a little fruit coulis, custard or a scoop of ice cream, this cake is a delight for the taste buds!
9) Pancakes with mashed potatoes
You know the parmentiere pancakes (also called vonnassian pancakes) ? They are simply pancakes made from mashed potatoes and they are classics of French cuisine. To your butter mash, add 3 tbsp of flour, 3 tbsp of cream, 5 cl of milk, 3 whole eggs, 4 egg whites (to whip and add last), fine salt and nutmeg if desired. Then cook everything in a very hot oiled frying pan, forming small crepes the size of a pancake. It is then up to you to opt for a rather sweet or savory accompaniment.
And There you go ! You now know how to transform your leftover mashed potatoes in two spoonfuls. These anti-waste recipes are perfect when there’s nothing left to know what to do with and it teaches us that our food leftovers are precious foodstuffs that are easy to decorate when you have the right ideas to inspire yourself.
