16 Easy Recipes To Use up a Bunch of Potatoes

Have a bunch of potatoes that need using up? There are plenty of ideas for turning this starchy staple into a meal everyone will love.

Aug 13, 2024 - 16:00

119

16 Easy Recipes To Use up a Bunch of Potatoes

Bang bang potatoes (potatoes in one bowl, sauce in another bowl next to the potatoes) — Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

I know you like potatoes and saving money. I know this because you walked into your local supermarket and couldn’t help yourself. You had to buy a five-pound sack of potatoes because they were on sale for $1.99.

You looked at that sack of potatoes and thought to yourself, “I can buy five pounds of potatoes. I love French Fries! I’ll make tons of French Fries in that air fryer I got for Christmas.”

But you never made the French Fries, and those potatoes look awfully close to sprouting. No need to break out the gardening tools just yet!

I’ve compiled 10 recipes to use up potatoes so you can reduce food waste. If all else fails, quarter them and plant them in your garden so you can have lots of potatoes when you will be in a better position to make lots of French Fries.

1. Twice Baked Potatoes

twice baked potatoes on a pan — Alison Bickel

Serve twice baked potatoes with meatloaf for a more robust meal or with a simple side salad for something lighter.

2. Ham and Potato Soup

The smoky saltiness of ham was made for the neutral flavors of the russet potato. This soup serves six. It makes enough to feed a larger family or to have leftovers for lunch all week! Yay!

3. Ranch Potato Salad

bowl of ranch potato salad, and in the background, a platter wtih more and a glass of water — Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe

Senior Editor Meg Scott says she "developed this recipe to be a crowd-pleaser (and a me-pleaser), using one of the most beloved flavors—ranch—and a hefty dose of pickles plus their brine for a little puckery pizzazz."

4. Fondant Potatoes

A skillet of fondant potatoes, ready to serve — Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe

A tip from Senior Editor Laurel Randolph: "Go for plain old russets for this recipe. They are the ideal size and have the right amount of starch for this cooking method. Red, yellow, and white potatoes simply won’t do."

5. German Potato Salad

Warm German Potato Salad served in a bowl on a cloth mat with a fork — Coco Morante

This is one of my favorite recipes. I replace yellow mustard in the recipe with stone ground. It’s a crowd pleaser! I’m not ashamed to admit I’ve eaten this as a meal on its own, but if you want pair it with a Sloppy Joe, be my guest!

6. Crispy Parmesan Potatoes

crispy parmesan potatoes (close-up) — Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

These crispy Parmesan roasted potatoes are what dreams are made of. They don’t require any special ingredients or tools and are as simple as tossing the ingredients together and arranging them flat-side down on a baking sheet.

7. Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie with Carrots and Mushrooms

Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie Recipe -- top down shot of shepards pie scoop taken out, golden and crispy edge mashed potatoes on top. Blue check table cloth, and a plate with some sheperd'e pie serve on top of it. — Sally Vargas

Shepherd’s Pie is comfort food at its best. This vegetable-heavy version is topped with creamy, cheesy mashed potatoes to make it a carb lover’s dream!

8. Lemon Za'atar Potatoes

Lemon Za'atar Potatoes with Fresh Dill, Crumbled Feta, and Lemon Slices on a Plate — Simply Recipes / Alison Bickel

Contributor Sara Tane says, "My favorite oven-roasting technique for potatoes is adding a bit of water to the sheet pan. When the pan hits the oven, the water starts to evaporate and creates steam. This yields potatoes with creamy, soft interiors."

9. Cheesy Funeral Potatoes From Scratch

Funeral Potatoes with Real Potatoes — Sally Vargas

This casserole is typically made with canned condensed soup and frozen hash browns but we kicked them up a notch by making them from scratch. They’re sometimes called cheesy potatoes, hash brown casserole, church potatoes, or party potatoes, among other names. Whatever you call them, they are always delicious!

10. Bang Bang Potatoes

At a minimum, you should hit these potatoes with some garlic powder which goes well with the bang bang sauce.

11. One-Pan Paprika Chicken with Potatoes and Tomatoes

Paprika Chicken and Potatoes with Tomatoes horizontal in a baking dish — Sally Vargas

Few things in life are better than whole meal made in one pan. This dish is dairy and gluten-free and its ready start to finish in an hour!

12. Sour Cream and Onion Potato Salad

Bowl of Sour Cream and Onion Potato Salad With a Spoon, and in the Surroundings, a Bowl of Seasoning, a Glass of Water, a Bowl of Chives, Stack of Plates With Utensils, and a Blush Table Napkin — Simply Recipes / Shilpa Iyer

Senior Editor Laurel Randolph says, "Sour cream and onion chips were a childhood favorite of mine, and I inhaled the green bags of Lay’s. While prepping for a recent barbecue, I realized that the same flavors would make a top-notch potato salad. I started with our classic recipe and tweaked it to get that oniony, sour creamy flavor."

13. Mediterranean Potato Salad

The best thing is that you can make it days ahead. The vinaigrette acts as a marinade, so the longer the salad sits, the more infused with flavor it becomes.

14. Herbes de Provence Skillet Chicken with Potatoes and Greens

Chicken Freezer Meal with Chicken Tenders-close up of chicken, potatoes, olives and swiss chard — Alison Bickle

Skillet meals for the win! Use up those potatoes (recipe calls for b-sized potatoes, but you can just cut any potato down to side) toss in some olives, chicken and Swiss chard for the win! Don’t let the olive and potato combo scare you--they are a match made in heaven.