Don't Throw Out Bacon Grease — Add It To This Comfort Side Dish Instead

Whether you're cooking bacon for breakfast or just want to include it in a refreshing BLT pasta salad recipe, the one common denominator is the resulting grease. Typically, you'll drain the excess drippings from your cooked bacon before serving it. Though you might be tempted to throw out that bacon grease, it has a number of delicious uses. Repurpose it in lieu of butter for your next batch of mashed potatoes for a total taste upgrade.

Adding bacon fat to mashed potatoes is one of the easiest and best ways to upgrade your recipes with bacon grease. It infuses your side dish with the smoky flavor of bacon while also providing a unique texture that, while akin to butter or oil, has even more richness when combined with the starch in potatoes. This swap can be done in a 1:1 ratio or adjusted to suit your taste preference.

Take a cue from traditional Southern cooking and use leftover bacon fat as the base for a delightful gravy, with which to top your mashed potatoes, by creating a roux with flour and milk. Using bacon fat to flavor your mashed potatoes or gravy couldn't be easier, but you don't have to stop there. Save your bacon fat in a heat-proof container in the fridge and use it in many different dishes.

Leftover bacon grease is a flavorful fat that's a waste to throw out. While simply adding it to mashed potatoes is a great start, there's a lot more you can do to dress up your potatoes. For example, try stirring in pieces of chopped cooked bacon along with chives, garlic, shredded cheese, and a swirl of sour cream to make a mashed potato dish inspired by the classic loaded baked potato.

As far as what kind to use, there are many types of bacon to choose from. A sweet hickory-smoked or brown sugar-crusted bacon would produce fat that enhances your mashed potatoes with similar flavors. This can turn your mashed potatoes into an ideal side dish to accompany a pork entree or chicken dinner. On the other hand, try a spicy black pepper-crusted bacon for bacon grease that gives you a little bit of heat.

Outside of a comforting bowl of mashed potatoes, you can also add bacon grease to roasted potatoes, smashed potatoes, or prepare a recipe of bacon fat hash browns. It's also an ideal fat for other roasted vegetables, including greens, root veggies, and more. Avoid food waste and make the most of your next batch of bacon by using every last drop of bacon fat in your cooking.