Instant mashed potatoes have never been appealing to me. If I’m making mashed potatoes, I’d rather start with whole potatoes and add fresh butter and milk myself. But the flakes are more than just a one-trick pantry item. I’ve used them to thicken soups and gravies and bind ground meat. That’s just the beginning.
Here’s why you should keep this surprisingly versatile pantry ingredient on hand. When a pot needs a little more body, a spoonful of flaked potatoes is an easy adjustment that requires little planning and no extra dishes.
My Favorite Use for Potato Flakes
Potato flakes are basically cooked, dehydrated potatoes. So they are sponges that soak up liquid without the cooking time that fresh potatoes need. Jacques Pépin’s potato and leek soup is a great example of putting this convenience to good use. I know, because I’ve done it.
I start by adding a chopped leek to a quart of boiling chicken stock, then whisking in about a cup and half of instant potatoes. After seasoning with salt, pepper, and Tabasco, I’ll sometimes stir in a little cream, and, I kid you not, the soup comes together in about 10 minutes. The flakes add both flavor and body, without having to peel potatoes.
If you’re thickening a soup, you’ll need much less. Start with a tablespoon and sprinkle them in while whisking. Then, let them absorb the liquid for a minute or two before deciding whether to add more—too many flakes can turn the soup into mashed potatoes. You can also use the same approach with gravy, although the slightly rustic texture may not suit every sauce. This is where an immersion blender can come in handy.
Unsurprisingly, the flakes also have a light potato flavor, which makes them well-suited to chowders, creamy vegetable soups, and hearty stews. I especially like them with broccoli soup. While they add body, the flaked potatoes don’t replace the richness of cream, so keep that in mind if you want a more luxurious soup.
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Other Ways To Use Potato Flakes
For things like meatballs and meatloaf, I use about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of instant potatoes per pound of ground meat, depending on the recipe. The flakes can stand in for breadcrumbs, which is especially useful if you have a gluten-free family member or guest. (Always check the package to make sure your brand of instant potatoes are in fact gluten free.) Mix the flakes in the same way you would breadcrumbs.
You can also find recipes that use them as a coating for chicken tenders all over the internet. I haven’t tried this yet, but through my research I’ve found that you can use the flakes alone or mix them 50/50 with flour, and dip the chicken in egg wash or mayonnaise to help them stick. It’s on my list, but I can’t personally vouch for the crunch yet.
I can’t imagine ever making mashed potatoes from a box, but it’s still worth keeping one in the pantry for nights when a pot of soup comes out thinner than I planned.
Read the original article on Simply Recipes