How can I use up leftover baked/jacket potatoes?
So, the reason for this post and it being posted considerably later than usual is the same thing – we had a bonfire night party last night — great fun but it ended somewhat late for a school night. Prior to Wednesday, it had just been a couple of friends coming around to burn things then play Guitar Hero, then it suddenly became a whole bunch of people (including one six week old person) coming around for food and flames. I, unwisely, decided I’d be able to make two soups and two cakes in the hour-and-a-half I had between getting in from the office and people starting to arrive… Not recommended.
Anyway, alongside the soup, sausages and parkin, we cooked a load of jacket potatoes – both normal white potatoes and sweet potatoes – but not all of them were eaten: we’ve got a GIANT sweet potato left over and four medium size white potatoes.
When I’ve been in a similar situation in the past, I’ve tried reheating potatoes in the microwave but it had less than desirable results. Anyone got any techniques for a more successful reheating? Is the oven the answer?
What about other ways to use up the potatoes? If we didn’t already have two lots of leftover soup, I’d possibly use one or two in there. A mash-topped pie might work too. Any other suggestions?
You could make mashed potatoes. I find it turns out very nice from roasted potatoes, more tasty than boiled. It also has the advantage that you can freeze it and it keeps.
You could always chop them up and fry up with garllic and/or onions.
Or you could scoop them out and mash (as suggested above) and then re roast/heat the skins and fill with cheese and bacon bits and serve with sour cream.
Leftover cooked potatoes are a quick and very tasty meal fried up with virtually any other chopped cooked veg and your choice of seasoning, such as loads of black pepper or garam masala. This also works as the basis for a very filling omelette or frittata.
Fried potato pancakes are good for any kind of left over potatoes. Mash them up, then add egg, flour, salt, pepper, and maybe a little milk if extremely dry. Then fry in a small amount of oil or butter.
I was going to say scoop out the middle and freeze it too. You may need to add more butter and possibly cheese when using it from the freezer as it can go a bit ‘bitty’. I used some I had frozen last night as a topper for fish pie – perfect with cheese mixed in!
Rebaked potatoes!
Scoop out the potato from the skin, mix with your choice of ingredients (sour cream, onions, garlic, bacon bits, etc…) then scoop the mixture back into the skins. You can top with cheese or more bacon and *then* the microwave works well for reheating.
*goes to find recipe book*
Ok, I can’t find the cookbook with it in but – grate the cold potatoes and fry them to make a crispy potato pancake. You could do the same with the sweet potato and sprinkle some grated cheese on top.
This post made me think again (ohno!). Why not keep the potato shells for another meal, then refill with some other stuffing, say rice or even grilled vegetables, top with a topping and re-bake. Sort of like twice baked potatoes. Of course you would need the cooperation of the other diners to take the skins off carefully and set aside before they dig in. lol!
I’m extremely lazy and usually just chop them up, skin and all, and fry them. Add a little salt and dunk in ketchup, mayonnaise, hummous etc.
French fries or chip shop chips can also be reheated the next day like this too.
Could also chop the spuds up, add anything else you can find, stir in some mayo and call it a potato salad.
I cut mine into sixths or eights length ways (depends how big they are) and fry them in oil to make potato wedges. I leave the skins on. I use fairly deep oil in a wok (up to half way on a wedge) and cook them till golden turning half way. They are amazing with mayonaise and other dips.
In fact I like them so much that every time I cook jacket potatoes now I do a few extra for wedges the next day.
Scoop out the flesh for any number of recipes that require precooked potatoes – as well as topping a fish/shepherd’s/cottage pie you could make gnocchi, fish cakes, duchess potatoes, etc etc. The scooped out skins, cut into wedges, brushed with oil and baked in the oven until crips make very tasty and relatively healthy scoops for dipping in salsa, sour cream, guacamole, etc dips.