If you were to vote for the most common kitchen ingredient, the versatile potato would probably be on the list. It’s delicious steamed, boiled, stir-fried, or deep-fried. Mashed potatoes, in particular, are a common side dish in Western cuisine. They’re also easy to make, and besides eating them on their own, there are many other culinary uses. Let’s learn all about them today.

Mashed Potato Pancakes

Once mashed potatoes have cooled, they become very easy to shape. You can mix them with ingredients like salmon, ham, ground beef, green beans, and spinach, then pan-fry them to create pancakes. It’s incredibly simple! Let’s learn how to make beef hash browns.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups mashed potatoes (cold)
• 340g cooked beef (chopped)
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• Salt to taste
• 1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs
• 6 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions:

• Combine the mashed potatoes, beef, cheese, eggs, flour, and salt in a large bowl and mix well.
• Divide the potato patties from step 1 into several pieces. Coat each piece with breadcrumbs. Heat the olive oil in a pan and fry until both sides are golden brown.

Use mashed potatoes to thicken soups and sauces

You can use a small amount of mashed potatoes to replace flours like cornstarch to thicken soups or sauces. However, be sure to mix thoroughly after adding the mashed potatoes, otherwise the soup or sauce may become less smooth.

It’s recommended to add mashed potatoes to soups or sauces by the teaspoonful, mix thoroughly, and then check to see if it’s thick enough. If you need more, add another teaspoonful. Repeat until the soup or sauce reaches your desired consistency.

Use Mashed Potatoes in Cakes, Cookies, and Other Desserts

If you enjoy baking cakes, cookies, and other baked goods, you can also add mashed potatoes to dough to create a variety of delicious desserts.

Mashed Potatoes for Gnocchi

Gnocchi, which can be made with just flour, is a similar pasta dish in Italy, but it uses more mashed potatoes than just flour. These gnocchi are indented with a fork before being added to the pan, creating a fist-like shape that’s quite interesting. Gnocchi are eaten much like pasta; after cooking, they’re often served with a suitable topping and sauce.

Mashed Potato Soup Recipes

In addition to the various uses mentioned above, leftover mashed potatoes can be added directly to soups as a topping. Now let’s learn how to make shrimp, tomato, and potato soup.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 600ml vegetable broth
• 200g shrimp
• 400g sweetcorn kernels
• 500g mashed potatoes
• You can also add bacon bits, chopped green onions, black pepper, and other toppings if desired.

Instructions:

Heat the olive oil in a pot. Add the tomato paste and vegetable broth to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes.

Remove the lid and add the corn and shrimp. Once cooked through, turn off the heat and pour the soup into four serving bowls.

Use a spoon to scoop some mashed potatoes and place them in the center of each bowl.

If you choose to add bacon bits or green onions, sauté them until cooked through, then sprinkle them over the soup as a finishing touch.

In addition to adding mashed potatoes directly to soup, you can also use a food processor or blender to make a puree.