More Ways To Use Leftover Mashed Potatoes
Made This?
Let us know how it went in the comments below!
What better way to use up your leftover mashed potatoes than by turning them into crispy bites full of all the cheesy, bacon-y goodness you love about loaded mashed potatoes, but in bite-sized form? Ready in 25 minutes, this bite-sized app is the recipe to turn to when you want something a bit different than your average mashed potatoes, or simply need a fun take on classic comfort food. It’s one of my favorite ways to use up Thanksgiving leftovers, or to switch up the staple holiday side. Keep reading on for all of my top tips on how to make them the best they can be:
What People Are Saying:
“Absolutely delicious!! I can use these to feed a crowd and so so simple!!” - lsimmie
“Great comfort food. I did the full blown deep fry but am excited to try air fry coming up 😋” - GreenBlowdryer
First things first: There are two possible cooking methods for these mashed potato bites. You can make them on the stovetop or the air fryer. Both will deliver delicious results, but if you’d rather skip the whole mess of frying in oil, then I’d recommend the air fryer, although you’ll have to cook in batches. Since the stovetop method requires a bit more effort, I’ll be explaining that below.
Add your leftover mashed potatoes to a large bowl, then throw in the cooked bacon, cheddar, chives, and garlic powder before seasoning to taste with salt and pepper. Stir everything together until all of the ingredients are incorporated and combined.
Grab two separate shallow bowls, placing the eggs into one (then beating them) and the panko into the other. Grab a small cookie scoop, then scoop balls around 1” to 2” from the mashed potato mixture.
Use your hands to roll them into more even balls, then dredge first in the egg mixture before the panko. Repeat the process until all the mashed potatoes are used and formed into balls, then set them aside.
Heat around 3” of vegetable oil in a large cast iron skillet until it reads 375°—use a candy thermometer for this. Fry the potato balls in batches, making sure not to overcrowd the skillet. Fry until they are golden on all sides—this should take around 2 to 3 minutes. Once done, drain them on a paper towel-lined plate and immediately season with just a bit more salt.
The full list of ingredients and instructions can be found in the recipe below.
We love to serve these mashed potato bites as a party appetizer, paired with sour cream, homemade ranch dressing or even our sriracha butter if you want a kick of rich heat. That being said, you could also serve these bites as a creative take on the classic holiday side alongside your turkey tenderloin or roast chicken.
These bites are best the day of, so I recommend making these when you need to enjoy the very last of your leftovers. To get ahead of prep, you can make the mashed potato mixture up to 3 days ahead, but leave the dredging and frying until the big day.
leftover mashed potatoes
slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
shredded cheddar cheese
thinly sliced chives
garlic powder
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
egg, beaten
panko bread crumbs
Vegetable oil, for frying
Ham Glaze
Honey-Glazed Carrots
How To Microwave A Sweet Potato
These Thanksgiving Recipes Require No Oven Space