A big bag of potatoes can go from useful to annoying fast if you don’t have a plan. Instead of letting them sprout and take over your counter, put them to work in recipes worth making. Potatoes are one of the most versatile ingredients out there—roasted, mashed, fried, or baked, they can do it all. This list keeps things simple with practical, no-nonsense ways to use them up without wasting time or effort.
Air Fryer Red Potatoes
Season, toss, and let the air fryer do its magic. These red potatoes come out crispy in half the time of oven roasting. A great side dish that barely takes any effort.
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Roasted Peri Peri Potatoes
Coated in bold Portuguese spices and roasted until crispy, these potatoes bring the heat. A great way to shake up the usual roasted potato routine.
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Roasted Pesto Potatoes
Pesto and roasted potatoes are a great combo, and throwing in bacon just makes it better. Quick, easy, and great for any meal.
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Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Roasted garlic and Greek yogurt give these mashed potatoes a big flavor boost. Creamy but not too heavy, they go with everything.
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Garlic Balsamic Roasted Asparagus & Potatoes
One sheet pan, two great sides. Potatoes and asparagus roast together with garlic and balsamic for a simple, no-mess dish.
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Air Fryer Baby Potatoes
Baby potatoes crisp up fast in the air fryer, making a great, low-maintenance side dish that works with just about anything.
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Crispy Potato Strips
Think of these like fancy French fries. Thin potato strips get crispy, golden, and perfect for dipping. A great snack or side when you need something crunchy.
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Grilled Potato Wedges
Crispy on the outside, soft inside, and kissed by the grill. These potato wedges work great with burgers, steaks, or just a bowl of dip.
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Parmesan Herb Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes
Air fryer sweet potatoes get crispy edges and a soft center in just 15 minutes. Parmesan and herbs take them up a notch. A great way to use up sweet potatoes without turning on the oven.
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Sweet Potato Hash
This spicy, Mexican-inspired sweet potato hash comes together fast and works for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. A great way to clean out the fridge and use up extra potatoes.
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Pumpkin Potato Soup
A creamy, blended soup that lets potatoes and pumpkin team up for something smooth and cozy. Great for colder days or just because you feel like soup.
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Cheesy Potato Breakfast Casserole
Packed with eggs, turkey sausage, grated apples, sage, and lots of cheese, this breakfast casserole is a great way to start the day. Perfect for feeding a crowd or just meal prepping for the week.
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Breakfast Potato Hash
Bacon and kimchi make this potato hash anything but boring. Throw a fried egg on top, and you’ve got a great breakfast or a quick, lazy dinner.
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Roasted White Sweet Potatoes
White sweet potatoes roast up crispy with just a few simple spices and fresh herbs. A great swap for regular potatoes when you want something a little different.
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Red Wine Beef Stew Stuffed Potatoes
Thick, rich beef stew gets loaded into baked potatoes for a full meal in one dish. A great way to make a big batch of stew stretch even further.
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Fondant Potatoes
Crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside—these fancy-looking potatoes aren’t just for restaurants. They turn a basic spud into a side dish that makes any meal feel like a big deal. If you’ve got a giant bag of potatoes, this is a great way to make them shine.
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Cheesy Hasselback Potatoes
If an accordion and a baked potato had a baby, it would be this. Sliced thin and loaded with cheese, these crispy, golden beauties make any dinner better. Plus, they use up a whole lot of potatoes in the best way possible.
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Loaded Cottage Cheese Potato Salad
Bacon, cheddar, eggs, and green onions team up in this potato salad, but instead of drowning in mayo, it gets a creamy boost from cottage cheese. Great for cookouts, meal prep, or just plowing through that sack of spuds before they sprout.
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Pizza Potato Casserole
Pizza and potatoes in one dish? Say less. Just three ingredients turn a pile of potatoes into a bubbling, cheesy masterpiece that brings all the comfort without any of the hassle. Bonus: kids actually eat this one.
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Crispy Parmesan Potatoes
Golden, crunchy, and covered in Parmesan, these potatoes are the crispy side you didn’t know you needed. Make a big batch because they disappear fast. Great for snacking, dipping, or hoarding for yourself.
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Potato and Leek Quiche
Eggs, potatoes, and leeks bake together into a quiche that works for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It’s filling, simple, and an easy way to use up extra potatoes. Serve it warm, cold, or straight from the fridge when you’re too lazy to heat it up.
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German Potato Salad
This isn’t your standard mayo-drenched picnic potato salad. Tangy, savory, and packed with crispy bacon, this German version is great for feeding a crowd or just making sure those potatoes don’t go to waste.
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Pesto Potato Salad
Fingerling potatoes, bacon, and green onions get tossed in a bright, herby pesto dressing. It’s fresh, easy, and makes a dent in that giant bag of potatoes sitting on your counter.
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Potato Frittata with Thyme & Goat Cheese
This frittata is an easy way to turn potatoes into a full meal. Eggs get puffy in the oven, potatoes add heartiness, and goat cheese gives it a tangy kick. Great for breakfast or a lazy dinner when you don’t want to try too hard.
Get the Recipe: Potato Frittata with Thyme & Goat Cheese
Potato Mochi
Soft, chewy, and lightly crisped on the outside, this Japanese-inspired snack turns basic potatoes into something fun. It’s a great way to use up extra spuds while trying something a little different.
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Miso Mashed Potatoes with Garlic
Miso and garlic take mashed potatoes from basic to bold. Creamy, rich, and packed with umami, this side dish is great for shaking up your usual potato routine.
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Boursin Mashed Potatoes
Boursin cheese, Greek yogurt, and a crispy Parmesan topping take mashed potatoes to the next level. It’s creamy, tangy, and a great excuse to eat an embarrassing amount of potatoes in one sitting.
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Crispy Oven-Roasted Baby Potatoes
These bite-sized potatoes come out crispy on the outside and soft in the middle. Perfect for tossing on the plate with chicken, steak, or just eating straight off the tray like a snack.
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Potato Patties with Chana Dal
These crispy, spiced potato patties are a great way to turn leftover mashed potatoes into something fun. Eat them as an appetizer, tuck them into a sandwich, or just stack them on a plate and go to town.
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Slow Cooker Lipton Onion Potatoes
Thinly sliced potatoes soak up all the flavor from Lipton onion soup mix while slow cooking into a soft, savory side dish. Set it and forget it, and let those potatoes do their thing.
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Slow Cooker Potatoes, Cabbage, and Kielbasa
Toss potatoes, cabbage, onion, and kielbasa into the slow cooker, walk away, and come back to a great meal. It’s hearty, easy, and perfect for using up a pile of potatoes without much effort.
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KitchenAid Mashed Potatoes
Let the stand mixer do the work while you pretend you’re busy. These mashed potatoes come out smooth, creamy, and ready for a generous pour of gravy. A great choice when you need a big batch fast.
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Cozy Green Chile Chicken Soup with Potatoes and Salsa Verde
Potatoes make this spicy, zippy chicken soup extra hearty. It’s the kind of meal that makes you want to grab a blanket and hibernate, but in a good way.
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Instant Pot Scalloped Potatoes with Ham
Creamy, cheesy, and loaded with ham, these scalloped potatoes cook up way faster in the Instant Pot. Great as a side or a full meal when you don’t feel like making anything else.
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Crispy, Cheesy Potato Fritters
These crispy potato and cheese fritters are proof that frying things in oil makes everything better. A crunchy, cheesy way to work through that potato stash.
Get the Recipe: Crispy, Cheesy Potato Fritters
Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.
