You know that 5-pound bag of potatoes you bought on sale? Go ahead and bake them! We'll show you what to do with leftover baked potatoes, so you have enough sides and main dishes to last a whole week. Spudtacular!

plate of potato gnocchi, from Shelf Cooking

What would you do if you had 30 baked potatoes you needed to use, stat? Hypothetically speaking, we may have learned how to solve this problem when the cute hubby made a BIG batch on his own one weekend. (It's fine. We're fine.)

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As it turns out, having a ton of baked potatoes on hand makes meal prep a breeze! So, whether you bake a bunch of potatoes at the beginning of the week or you just find yourself in a potato surplus predicament, don't worry! We've got all the recipe ideas you'll ever need.

MAKE-AHEAD BAKED POTATOES: HOW & WHY

So many recipes call for potatoes, and often, it's cheaper to buy them in bulk than individually. The trick is using them all up (or cooking and freezing) before they go bad. One of the easiest ways we've found to cook a huge batch of baked potatoes is in the crockpot. Here's how:

  • Step one – Pierce your potatoes with a fork, drizzle with olive oil and salt, then wrap in tin foil.
  • Step two – Place in the crockpot and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5.

That's it. Easy, right?!

Now for the why: it's one of the best meal prep hacks ever. Potatoes are filling and affordable, making them a great way to stretch your budget while feeding a crowd. And by making a big batch ahead of time, you can throw together meals in no time. We're talking breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and sides. So, here we go!

HOW TO USE LEFTOVER BAKED POTATOES FOR BREAKFAST

making a breakfast burrito, from Shelf Cooking

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and one of the best ways to make it more filling is to toss in some potatoes. If you don't want to serve a plain old baked potato, we get it. Try one of these fun ideas:

  • Homefries – Slice and dice all those leftover potatoes and pan-fry them in your trusty skillet with a little olive, onion, salt, and pepper. Delish!
  • Breakfast Burritos – We like making a big batch of breakfast burritos that will last a full month. Here's a way to make the ingredients stretch even further: dice your potatoes and add them in! It makes a super filling and affordable meal to start the day.
  • Corned Beef Hash – Sure, you could buy the canned stuff, but using fresh potatoes is so much better!
  • Egg-in-a-Potato – Remove the top third from your baked potato, and remove most of the stuffing from the potato, creating a hole. Crack an egg, place it inside, then bake at 350°F for around 20 minutes, and serve with the toppings of your choice. So good!

Okay, we thought we were done, but bonus, Jonas! Here's another easy one: use a grater to shred those potatoes and make some diner-style hash browns. Top with cheese, salsa, and sour cream for a breakfast fiesta! Ready for lunch and dinner now?

WHAT TO MAKE FOR LUNCH OR DINNER WITH LEFTOVER BAKED POTATOES

bowls of loaded baked potato soup, from Shelf Cooking

You may think of potatoes as your go-to side, but they can also become the star ingredient in your next main dish! Try one of these tasty lunch or dinner ideas:

  • Soup – We love a good soup around here! You can go for the obvious and whip up some baked potato soup, or try a beef stew or vegetable soup. Use what you've got, and consider this your guide to making soup from scratch.
  • Stuffed Baked Potato Bar – Ready for an easy, peasy dinner? Set up your own baked potato bar with all the fixings! You can pull out any leftover meat or protein you have to make it a meal. Try shredded chicken or pulled pork!
  • Gnocchi – This gnocchi recipe from the Food Network takes a bit of time to prepare, but if you're in the mood to try something different, it's a great way to turn leftovers into a meal fit for a special occasion! Top it with this 5-minute Alfredo sauce.
  • Cheesy Sausage and Potato Casserole – With a sharp knife, thinly slice your potatoes in the shape of chips, cook and drain the sausage of your choice (we use whatever we have), dump in one can of cream of mushroom, mix, then add a layer of shredded cheddar to the top. Cover, then bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes.

Now, what about the sides? Let's go over some options beyond the basic baked or mashed potato!

SERVE UP THESE POTATO SIDES

a plate of scalloped potatoes and spinach, from Shelf Cooking

Nothing against mashed potatoes. We've never met a potato we don't love, but sometimes it's nice to try something new, right? You can't go wrong with any of these side dish options:

  • Scalloped Potatoes – If you're looking for the perfect easy, cheesy potato dish to serve a crowd, you've found it! Grab our scalloped potato recipe.
  • Twice Baked Potatoes – Add some sour cream or cream cheese, oven-baked bacon, cheddar cheese, and scallions to your potato mixture. YUM! These sure are tasty.
  • Cubed & Browned – Cube your potatoes, season with salt and pepper, drizzle with melted butter and bake in the oven at 425° F for around 20 minutes, or until browned.
  • Mashed Potato Cakes – Mash your leftover potatoes mix with an egg, a splash of milk, and the seasonings you prefer. We suggest using some fresh herbs if you have them!
  • Potato Dinner Rolls – No meal is complete without a little bread on the side, and these Taste of Home potato rolls are to die for!

So, next weekend when you're doing meal prep, go ahead and pop a few baked potatoes in the crockpot. You've got options galore!

Don't let that big sack of potatoes go to waste ever again! When you find your pantry is overflowing with russets, you'll know what to do.

Tell us, what's your favorite way to eat potatoes? Leave a comment below!

Image with text that reads "how to use leftover baked potatoes" from Shelf Cooking

Looking for more meal prep or leftovers tips?

Later, tater!