What To Do With Leftover Mashed Potatoes

Ireland is well known for its potatoes, and for good reason. The Irish were among the earliest Europeans to make the potato an essential part of their diet. In the 17th century, as the World Potato Congress explains, Ireland was the first country in Europe to grow the world's favorite root vegetable as a major crop, and the plants there thrived in near-ideal growing conditions. One deliciously Irish way to enjoy potatoes is to make potato farls, and leftover mash is the perfect place to start.

According to The Guardian, these delectable potato cakes are exceptionally easy to make, being little more than butter, potatoes, and plain flour (although they were traditionally made with oatmeal). The word "farls" means quarters because farls are normally cut into four pieces from a circle of dough before being served. The Irish Times describes how potato farls are just as adaptable as the potatoes themselves, going excellently with anything from smoked fish to a fresh salad. You can even cook a sweet version by adding in some currants and spices, like fruit scones. However, they're most popularly made so the potato flavor is front and center, using as little flour as possible. Quick to prepare, a batch of plain potato farls will make for an excellent breakfast, with some bacon and eggs, or a tasty side dish at any time of day.

If the potato has a true home, it's in Peru, where potatoes were first domesticated over 8,000 years ago; they've been enjoyed in Peruvian cuisine for far longer than Peru has existed as a country. According to Peru.travel, Peru is now the main supplier of potatoes throughout Latin America, with a dazzling 4,000 different varieties grown around the country. Needless to say, Peruvians are experts at preparing potatoes, and papa rellena is one exceedingly popular dish that uses mashed potatoes as the main ingredient.

Papas rellenas are enjoyed across Peru, and Amigo Foods mentions that they're among the best street foods. A kind of croquette made from mashed potatoes and stuffed with spiced beef and onions, papas rellenas are also just as often found on the dining table, both at home and in restaurants. Essentially, they aren't too different from empanadas, except made with potato instead of pastry. Peru.travel describes them as "one of the greatest gastronomic treasures that [Peru] has," mentioning how they're best when cooked to have a crispy exterior. With a bowl of light, fluffy mashed potatoes as a starting ingredient, these delectable little snacks aren't too difficult to make and are tasty enough that you're likely to find yourself craving more.

An old working-class favorite from the U.K., bubble and squeak is a dish that exists purely to use up leftovers, especially after a big family dinner. Per British Food: A History, it doesn't have any particular recipe, being essentially a big collection of leftover vegetables, often including things like cabbage, broccoli, and carrots. The main ingredient, though, is mashed potatoes, which are essential to hold everything together (although some people like to add an egg as a binder to stop it from falling apart too easily). The whole mixture is combined together and formed into small patties, which are then pan-fried until they have a nice golden crust on either side. The name comes from the sound this dish makes while it's in the frying pan, as hot steam from the vegetables escapes.

With mashed potatoes as the basic ingredient, the modern dish is usually made entirely of vegetables (although the original version was much more meaty). It isn't purely restricted to vegetables, however, and as long as it's at least half potato, anything goes! Because it's such a flexible dish, it can also be a good way to use up stray items in your fridge, like the last slice of bacon or a spare half onion. If you live in the kind of household that enjoys a roast dinner on Sundays, bubble and squeak is a quick and easy breakfast for a Monday morning.

One quintessentially Japanese food is mochi, a kind of chewy rice cake with a veritable galaxy of variations. Made from a particular kind of glutinous rice to give its characteristic gummy texture, mochi is widely found in Japanese sweets but can also be eaten in savory dishes (via Tofugu). However, as well as rice, mochi can also be made from potatoes. Named imo mochi (literally "potato mochi"), it's a popular snack across the country, but particularly in Japan's northern island of Hokkaido. Potatoes in general are strongly associated with Hokkaido because, according to The Japan Times, this is where farmers first started growing them in the 18th century. In the cold climate of Hokkaido, buttery potato dishes are unfailingly popular.

Imo mochi is extremely easy to make. As Miklia explains, they're little more than mashed potato and potato starch –- not unlike other potato cakes, but the starch gives them a very different texture. With the ingredients mixed together, the mochi is shaped into little round patties and pan-fried until slightly crispy on the outside. They're then usually served with a sweet-savory dipping sauce made from soy sauce or miso, giving a rich, wholesome flavor. A plate of them can be surprisingly filling. Being so simple to prepare, imo mochi can make for a handy snack at any time of day. They have a soft, chewy texture and are best enjoyed while still hot and springy.

India is a bustling country full of vibrant cities with an incredible variety of foods, and widely eaten across India are bite-sized foods called chaat. As Bon Appetit explains, the infamously moreish chaat can be eaten as snacks in smaller portions, but is substantial enough that a larger serving can make for a full meal. Chaat is also enough of a staple that you can find it in some form anywhere in India, and Indian supermarkets across the world will almost certainly have some on offer too. The specific names and styles can vary wildly, but a few varieties of chaat are so popular that they're quite easy to find. One of the most common ones is aloo tikki.

The main ingredient of aloo tikki is mashed potato. MasterClass mentions how it's seasoned with spice mixes like garam masala, and can even be stuffed with paneer (Indian cheese) or chana dal (split chickpeas). These small potato patties can be deep-fried or shallow-fried, but the most important part is that they should have a nice crisp golden crust. They're popularly served with liberal amounts of condiments like yogurt dips or spicy chutneys. It's even quite popular in India for fast food restaurants to serve a vegetarian option of aloo tikki burgers, a now beloved food that reportedly originated on McDonald's menus.

Potato candy is a favorite treat in Appalachia, especially during the holiday season. Enough to please anyone with a sweet tooth, potato candy sits comfortably alongside fudge and taffy as a wintery indulgence. Unlike fudge though, potato candy doesn't involve any boiling or setting. It's much easier to make, being mostly just mashed potato and sugar. According to True Treats Candy, potato candy most likely arrived with immigrants and became popular because of how cheap and readily available its ingredients are.

The recipe is a simple mixture of potato and powdered sugar, topped with a layer of peanut butter and wrapped up like a jelly roll. A true working-class delight, ingenious cooks helped to make it particularly popular during the Great Depression, with potatoes being cheap and easy to grow. The result is a sweet-tasting candy, replete with the nutty richness of peanut butter, which also makes an attractive addition to dessert tables during the holidays. Of course, there's no reason why you have to wait. With some leftover mashed potatoes as a starting point, this dish is so easy to prepare that it can be enjoyed year-round.