10 Ideas for Using Leftover Mashed Potatoes

One of the best parts about Thanksgiving dinner is the leftovers! Whether you purposely make more than you need for dinner to enjoy throughout the holiday weekend, or if it happens by accident, leftovers are always a nice perk. While you can heat your food and enjoy it again exactly as you did during the big meal, we have some creative ideas for repurposing leftover mashed potatoes! 

Thanksgiving Sandwich 

While piling turkey on leftover dinner rolls or sliced bread is a pretty common lunch for the Day After, kick it up a notch by adding a layer of mashed potatoes, gravy, and cranberry sauce. It may be too messy to eat with your hands, but it will be worth dirtying a knife and fork!

Potato Pancakes

Combine mashed potatoes with flour and egg (or chia egg if vegan) and salt, pepper, chives, or whatever spices appeal to you. Pour oil into a hot skillet, then dollop the potatoes mixture and cook until brown on each side. Other add-ons could include cheese, bacon, or diced broccoli.  

Tacos

Warm up the potatoes with some taco seasoning, and spoon into corn tortillas. Top with cheese, avocado, tomato, hot sauce, and serve with a side of beans for a hearty meal. 

Breakfast Skillet

Scoop potatoes into a warm skillet and add any other breakfast items you like such as veggies, tofu, beans, or meat, and heat through. Make room in the skillet to cook eggs — scrambled or fried both work well — and melt cheese on top of everything. Scoop the mix into a bowl and add toppings like hot sauce, avocado, or diced tomatoes for an easy one-pan breakfast!

Potato Rolls

Mashed potatoes make rolls fluffy and moist, and helps them stay soft for several days when properly stored. You’ll need yeast, flour, egg, milk and butter, although actual ingredients depend on which recipe you use. Try this one for inspiration. 

Lasagna 

This may sound like an odd suggestion, but a layer of mashed potatoes in your traditional lasagna recipe adds a little extra carby-comfort. Think about it — mashed potatoes pair well with meat and cheese, so why not in your lasagna too! They also work well in a veggie lasagna. 

Potato Cups

Spray a muffin tin with oil, or use cupcake liners, and fill with mashed potatoes, sausage or bacon, cheese, tomatoes, and bake until warm and brown. These can be eaten for breakfast or an afternoon snack.

Shepherd’s Pie

This casserole combines meat and veggies, then a layer of mashed potato acts as a crust. Using leftover mashed potatoes and vegetables from Thanksgiving dinner gets you ¾ of the way there!  

Mashed Potato Waffles 

Similar to potato pancakes, mashed potato waffles combine potato with eggs and flour and whatever other ingredients you have on hand (like meat or cheese) but the batter is poured into a waffle iron. It’s a fun twist on traditional waffles! Here’s a recipe to get you started.

Potato Casserole

This is a very easy way to use up leftover mashed potatoes, and any other meats or vegetables you have handy. Simply combine in a dish, and bake until everything is warm. Call it a casserole and enjoy!

For more tips on meals and healthy living, check out our articles.