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Every Thanksgiving, if you’re lucky, you end up with just the right amount of leftovers for the perfectly stacked turkey sandwich or the loaded leftover lunch plate. But sometimes things get out of wack and you end up with way too much gravy or an extra casserole dish of stuffing. For me, the extra is often mashed potatoes, given my family’s propensity to go big on potatoes (my sister made over 10 pounds of potatoes this year!). But I don’t mind in the least, because these hot, cheesy little puffs are the perfect way to use up those mashed potatoes.
The Best Recipe to Use Up Mashed Potatoes
I first started making these a few years ago when left with an extra Dutch oven full of mashed potatoes and got tired of making mashed potato pancakes. I stirred up the potatoes with some eggs and a heaping helping of cheese, along with some bacon, and dolloped them into a mini muffin pan. (I especially love this pan, which has removable bottoms and is also so good for mini cheesecakes.)
Bake up and bam! Cheesy, tender little morsels of potatoes, with crisp edges and topped with sour cream or gravy (if you like!). They make a fantastic holiday weekend breakfast or appetizer. They are also a great way to use up little bits of leftovers from your holiday cooking: herbs, chopped turkey or ham, extra bacon.
It’s one of the few recipes where I actually like the leftover version better than the original. I eat them straight out of the pan; just poke a spoon in and get at them.
Get the recipe: Cheesy Mashed Potato Puffs
Do you have favorite ways of using up Thanksgiving leftovers?