Got Leftover Mashed Potatoes? Use Them To Make A Grilled Cheese

Mashed potatoes and grilled cheese are two of the best and simplest comfort food classics. Either is good when you want something hot and filling, but they don't generally cross paths during a meal. Grilled cheese is typically a lunch on its own, maybe with soup on the side. Mashed potatoes are usually a side dish at dinner. However, if you have leftover mashed potatoes and want to try something a little different with your grilled cheese, you can combine these two into something that could become your new grilled cheese addiction.

This tip comes from Chef Tyler on Instagram, and you'll need to use a sturdy bread that can stand up to having mashed potatoes spread across it like butter. You want to coat the bread thoroughly and work the mashed potatoes into the tiny bubbles on the surface to help it stay in place. Make your grilled cheese according to whatever recipe you like, and then cook it in a pan over medium heat with olive oil. You're going to fry that potato-coated bread until it's crispy and golden brown. The cheese inside should be perfectly melted by the time it's ready.

There are lots of options for what you can add inside a grilled cheese, but when it comes to the exterior, there are only a few variations. Most people have heard of using mayonnaise instead of butter, for instance. There are also many kinds of bread you can try, but it doesn't need to end there. This mashed potato tip adds an extra dimension of crunchiness cut with the familiar cushioning, bringing in a hash brown element to your sandwich.

It's hard to go wrong with fried potatoes. Think of hash browns, french fries, anything like that. Add some cheese and you're just threatening everyone with a good time. That's what makes this dish work. It's been described as tasting like a cross between grilled cheese and french fries. The exterior, thanks to the potato, will be extra crispy and complemented perfectly by the cheese and whatever else you put inside the sandwich.

Once you've mastered the basic technique, the sky is the limit for where you want to go next. Treat it like a potato skin and stuff the inside with crispy bacon, green onions, and different kinds of cheese or salsa. For a poutine twist, use cheese curds and add a little gravy inside, or serve the sandwich with gravy on the side for dipping. You could treat it more like a pierogi and include some caramelized onions with the cheese inside the sandwich. We have some great ideas for how you can elevate a grilled cheese sandwich that would work here, too.

Aside from classic tomato soup, salsa roja can add some heat, while sour cream offers a cool and creamy contrast. Add some pepperoni in the sandwich and use marinara as a dip on the side. You could add grilled chicken inside and dip it in some creamy ranch or even Caesar dressing. Check out our ultimate grilled cheese sandwich recipe as a starting point, and see what you can build from there.