Christmas is coming, and like most any other major holiday, leftover mashed potatoes are coming too.  I don’t think a year has gone by that we haven’t had leftover mashed potatoes. We normally eat them the next day on an open-faced sandwich, or mix corn and gravy in them. But lately I have been wanting to use them as more than mere leftovers and turn them into something totally different.  Then somehow it feels like all that work we put into peeling, dicing, cooking and mashing was worth it.  Here are some of the ways we like to use ours.

1. Open Faced Sandwiches – top mashed potatoes, turkey, gravy, stuffing, and corn over a thick piece of bread and enjoy.
2. Shepherds Pie.  Use those leftover potatoes to top your pie.
3. Potato pancakes
4. Gnocchi
5. Crispy Potato Mounds (a different way to eat mashed potatoes – prepare your cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Then, push your mashed potatoes through a pastry bag with a large star tip and pipe out potatoes similar to how you would frost a cupcake.  Or, plop little mounds of potatoes on the cookie sheet.  Bake at 450F for 20-30 minutes, or until mounds are beginning to turn golden and crispy).
6. Potato and cheese pierogies
7. Loaded mashed potato soup
8. Mashed potato gratin
9. Potato Croquettes
10. Homemade tater-tots
11. Potato Bread
12. Turkey Potato Pot Pie
13. Potato Biscuits
14. Potato Casserole
15. Pasties (hand pies made with meat, mashed potatoes and other veggies)