The Genius Way To Turn Leftover Mashed Potatoes Into An Italian Delight

Mashed potatoes are a dish that most people will agree as being pretty essential. They are easy to make, easy to customize with add-ins like crispy pieces of bacon and creamy cheese, and you can easily add extra flavor with tricks like boiling the potatoes in chicken broth. Plus, you have plenty of options for using up those leftovers. They are easy to freeze for later, but if you are creative, resourceful, and armed with this genius hack, you can take those leftovers and create an Italian treat that will make your culinary skills shine.

Gnocchi is a type of pasta which consists of small pillowy dumplings that have been gracing Italian tables at mealtime for centuries. Made from a dough of potato, flour, and (sometimes) eggs, gnocchi is delicate, delicious, and can be a bit time-consuming to make. But when you use leftover mashed potatoes, the job is already half done for you. Turning last night's mashed potatoes into homemade gnocchi not only saves you money by making use of your leftovers, but it makes creating a delightful Italian meal a breeze. 

The already-mashed potatoes simply take the place of having to cook, cool, and mill fresh spuds from scratch for the dough. All you have to do is mix the leftover mash with eggs (about one large egg per cup of mashed potatoes) and equal parts of all-purpose flour. Knead the dough, roll your gnocchi, and cook as usual. As a bonus, any seasoning you've already used in your mash only adds to the flavor of your gnocchi dough.

There are many reasons why gnocchi has become such a popular part of Italian cuisine. Delicious flavor, delicate texture, and the fact that you can use gnocchi in a number of different recipes makes it a versatile culinary powerhouse. And once you realize how much of a timesaver leftover mashed potatoes are when it comes to making fresh gnocchi, you'll be able to let your creative juices flow with the dishes you create.

Gnocchi is robust enough to go with tomato-based sauces like a classic marinara or a hearty bolognese. You can also go tomato-free and simply dress cooked gnocchi with some olive oil and parmesan, or go for something decadent like a brown butter sage sauce that lets the chewy dumplings shine.

If soup is more your jam, gnocchi is a fantastic go-to for many recipes. It pairs well with cream-based soups, like this creamy chicken gnocchi soup, which isn't just a great way to use up leftover mashed potatoes, but also leftover chicken. Once you boil your gnocchi, one-skillet meals are also an excellent way to incorporate the dumplings into your menu with both tomato and cream-based sauces. Working Italian sausage into your skillet meal is an ideal fit to stay on-theme with gnocchi's Italian heritage.