We all want delicious and healthy food for our meal, and in this modern age where everyone seems to be in a hurry, we like to have a healthy and yummy meal that is quick to prepare. We also try to find ways on how we can keep prepared food fresh and safe to consume even after a week.
To counter the effects of high inflation rate, we can try to make our budget work and even save up for the future or for emergency cases.
What am I referring to? How do I stretch my budget and still enjoy a healthy and scrumptious meal? Try, potatoes.
Potatoes are very flexible, can be made in a variety of dishes, and cheaper too. You can make them into mojos, crispy chips, bake, or mashed it. They will all turn out to be great for a meal.
Mashed potato is enjoyed by almost everyone. It has smooth and soft texture that almost melt in your mouth which makes it appealing to everyone regardless of age. It is easy to prepare too. If you happened to prepare a lot and there is leftover, you can refrigerate it for the next meal.
Mashed potato leftovers may look unappealing, but it will taste the same. Yet, some people could be picky eating mashed potato leftovers, so you need to think and be creative on how to turn it to another dish to prevent wastage.
The first option is always to reheat or warm mashed potatoes because it is the easiest way to have it ready to eat. You can some milk or gravy when reheating and that will make it tastier.
Apart from reheating it, have you tried frying mashed potatoes? Yes, you can fry mashed potatoes and you can have a hearty meal ready in a few minutes.
How to fry leftover mashed potatoes
It is good to learn new ways on how to make leftover food tempting and delicious. Oftentimes, we try to prepare a new dish from the leftovers or mix it into another dish.
Others would think that it is challenging to make a new dish out of this soft and smooth food, but there is always an easy trick to do it. Even restaurant chefs prepare mashed potatoes in advance and warm it when needed.
So, what about mashed potato leftovers? You can reheat it but be sure to do it properly to keep its texture and consistency so it will look and taste like fresh mashed potatoes. If not, then it will become soggy or lumpy and become unappealing.
Another option is to fry it, and here are the simple steps.
Easy Steps to Fry Mashed Potatoes
You can fry mashed potato leftovers on a stovetop, and these are the easy steps:
- Preheat your non-stick pan or skillet on the stove at medium heat.
- Grease the pan with cooking oil and be sure to cover the entire pan. Be sure to use the type of oil with high smoking point.
- Spread mashed potatoes thinly on the pan.
- Fry it for a minute or two until it becomes golden brown, then flip to fry to fry the other side.
- Best served when hot.
You can also try other recipes for preparing mashed potato leftovers if you are feeling creative. Frying over a stovetop is the traditional way, but you can use an oven, a microwave, and even an air-fryer.
Using an oven
Oven-fried or oven-baked mashed potatoes is surely a great dish and healthier because you can do it with little or no oil.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Add some flour, cheese, and other seasonings of your choice to add flavor to your dish.
- Shape mashed potatoes to your desired size or like patties.
- Bake them for not more than 10 minutes. You can check if it has turned golden brown. Then, remove it from the oven.
Remember to check them before 10 minutes and you may extend if you want it more golden but be on guard not to overdo it.
Using an Air fryer
It is easy and healthy to make your mashed potato leftovers into pancakes or a different version of hash browns in an air fryer. Its layer can become crispy while it remains creamy and soft in the core.
Depending on the amount of the mashed potatoes you like to make, you can add an ample amount of ingredients to make it taste best.
Here are the easy steps in making sumptuous pancakes out of mashed potato leftovers.
- Add grated cheddar cheese, thinly sliced spring onions, egg, and two tablespoons of flour to 2 cups of mashed potatoes and mix thoroughly.
- Form the mashed potato pancake mix to your desired shape and size.
- Freeze the pancakes for 10 minutes before cooking it in the air fryer. This is to let it stay firm and retain its shape.
- Cook the pancakes for about 10 minutes. Flip it after the first 5 minutes to ensure that both sides are well-cooked.
Using a Microwave
It is not difficult to reheat mash potato leftovers. It can still be as delectable if done correctly and you can always be inventive on its taste and appearance.
Here is a simple tip to reheating mash potato leftovers with a twist using a microwave.
- Mix the mashed potatoes with butter, thick cream, and a cup of milk in a bowl. Be sure to mix it thoroughly.
- Place it in a microwaveable dish. You can also use the microwaveable dish for mixing so you will not need to transfer it.
- Cover the dish with a microwave safe paper towel or food wrap. It will prevent splatters as it is heated.
- Microwave it for not more than 30 seconds. If you want it a little brownish, you may extend it for a few more seconds but do not overcook it.
Leftover mashed potato recipe ideas
You should not limit yourself to reheating mashed potato leftovers. There are different ways to enjoy it, and you can even invent your own mashed potato dish.
If you just cannot get enough of potatoes, you can make a planner for your weekly meal and schedule your favorite potato recipe.
Here are some tips:
-
Mashed potato patties
Mixed your mashed potatoes with some flour, egg, onion, pepper, salt, and other seasoning of your choice to make it tastier. Be sure to mix it thoroughly so it will not be lumpy.
Set your stove in medium heat and preheat your pan with enough amount of oil for frying.
Carefully set each patty on the pan and cook until it turned golden brown. Flip each patty after a minute to be sure both sides are cooked well.
These mashed potato patties are healthier alternative to meat burgers.
-
Mashed potato sandwich filling
Preheat a pan with a teaspoon of cooking oil. Sautee diced onions, garlic, and other seasoning of your choice. You can also add some pepper, salt, and chili flakes.
When these ingredients turned a bit brownish, add the mashed potato and stir well. You need to keep stirring so it will not stick to the pan or get burnt.
Keep stirring for 2 to 3 minutes until turned golden brown, then you can some grated cheese. This will make a delectable sandwich filling and you can also eat with your salad.
3. Indian potato curry
Curry is a popular Indian food and it typically has potatoes in it.
To make potato curry, you need to prepare several spices like turmeric, cumin, coriander, chili, and mustard seed.
Start by heating the pan with a teaspoon of cooking oil. Sautee the mustard seed and cumin. When they crackle, add the other recipes and the potatoes.
Mix thoroughly and add enough amount of water. Others like to add half cup of yogurt to the recipe.
This will give you a creamy potato curry which is best to serve with naan or rice.
4. Potato pastry filling
If you are a pastry lover, then this recipe will surely make you crave for pastry filled with cheesy potato filling.
Mix mashed potatoes with grated cheese, and butter. You may also add half cup of thick cream or milk to make it tastier and its texture smoother.
Spread some pasty squares and put some of this cheesy mashed potato leaving enough space so you can fold it. Once the pastry is folded, you can seal its sides by splashing it with egg or milk to make it stick together.
Arrange each pastry in a pan and bake it for 5 minutes or until it turned golden brown. You can also freeze these pastries and store it for later preparations.
Conclusion
Most countries consider potatoes as a staple food and is available anywhere in the world. Also, a variety of dishes are prepared with or served with potatoes. Grilled meat or steak are served with baked or mashed potatoes, and even burgers are served with potato fries.
Other good things about potatoes, they are cheap, and you can buy it from almost every market. So, if you plant to tighten your budget, remember that you can have a variety of dish with potatoes and you will never be bored with your meal.
