Smashed [Leftover] Potatoes

I think there's something about the Irish in me that makes me want & really love potatoes. And then my eyes get bigger than my stomach...and sometimes I misjudge how much of a potato dish to fix for family &/or company. So I usually end up with a lot more than I bargained for!

At Easter time, I made some lazy cooker mashed potatoes that were pretty good, but I have kiddos that don't like the texture of mashed potatoes. It's OK...I heard the gasps. I understand. It breaks our hearts, too.

Now then, the other night I fixed up a bunch of baby red potatoes. I quartered them, seasoned them how I wanted, boiled them...and had a lot left over! Go figure.

We are really bad about using leftovers. But we had another meal coming up that I knew I could reuse those 'taters!

Here's what I did:

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SMASHED [LEFTOVER] POTATOES

Ingredients:

~ baby potatoes, quartered
~ 1/2 stick of butter
~ 1/4 C parsley, chopped or dried
~ salt & pepper, to taste
~ water to cover potatoes
~ 1/4 C milk
~ 1-2 boullion cube(s); I used chicken flavor


Directions:

* after cutting baby potatoes into quarters, place in a large pot

* cover the potato quarters with enough water to cover the potato pieces

* add butter, parsley, salt & pepper to the water

* bring water to a boil

* turn burner temp down slightly & allow to boil for about 20-30 minutes or until potatoes are tender

* turn burner off & allow the potatoes to sit in the water
(I allowed them to sit until after dinner, when I served the quartered potatoes, I continued onto the next step while doing cleanup & putting away leftovers)

* drain most of the water off the potatoes until there's maybe a half inch of water in the pot

* with a spoon, fork or potato masher, begin breaking down the potatoes

* add the milk & continue smashing gently

* here is where I placed the mixture into an airtight container, threw in the bouillon cube, closed it & allowed it to sit in the fridge for a day or two; you may skip the refrigerator step if you are moving right into making the smashed potatoes right now, just make sure the bouillon cube is good & dissolved

* if you stored the potato mixture in the fridge, pull it out & place the mixture into a medium sauce pan or a large pot if you have a lot

* begin reheating the potato mixture by placing the burner on mid heat & stirring occasionally; the bouillon cube may not have dissolved while in the fridge, so begin stirring it around until it's broken up into the potatoes

* you may need to smash some of the potato lumps a bit more, if you'd like, as you are heating & stirring

* you may want to add a little more salt & pepper, but that is up to you

* (re)serve & consume

Served with smoked ham, steamed green beans & rolls
*GORGEOUS*

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If you prefer much creamier mashed potatoes, feel free to whip them up with a handheld mixer, because just having them smashed will have them a bit lumpy.

And, yes...the skins are left in there! And you know what? My hubby liked 'em. He did. No...my kiddos refused to try them. Cowards.

My hubby did make an interesting comparison: he told me they reminded him of "grandma's house potatoes." I don't exactly know what he meant by that, but I said I was taking it as a compliment & we would move on from there!

So...if you have leftovers that you want to reuse, just repurpose the potatoes & it's a whole new dish a day or two later! And...you've saved money by not purchasing stuff for a whole new side dish.

To change it up a little more, feel free to add garlic powder &/or cheese. No one will know that you had these same potatoes a night or 2 before unless you tell them. It could be our own little secret!

You're welcome.

ENJOY!