Flour and cornstarch are the go-to ingredients to thicken a soup or gravy, but instant potato flakes are a convenient alternative. The starch in potatoes will gelatinize when exposed to water and heat, providing a similar thickening effect, and they’re also one of the few gluten-free thickeners that is widely available.

Prepared instant mashed potatoes make an excellent base for dips, spreads, and sauces in a flash. Many dips rely on rich, fatty dairy products like heavy whipping cream, sour cream, or cream cheese as a base, but dried potato flakes offer a lighter, dairy-free alternative to create similarly smooth spreads.

Potato flakes can be used as a binder in meat dishes such as meatballs, meatloaf, and meat patties instead of the usual eggs or breadcrumbs. These flakes can even be used in desserts because they hold moisture well and create a smooth, creamy texture, which can replace some of the eggs or cream in custards.

Instant mashed potatoes can be also used to stretch the amount of filling in deviled eggs to save on ingredients and money, and will also add a mild potato flavor. This hack can be used in many dishes that require a creamy and/or potato heavy-filling, such as savory pies, quiches, samosas, and ravioli.

Potato flakes can turn normal breakfast hash into something outstanding. Once again acting as a binder, the flakes hold the hash together, allowing the ingredients to meld and crisp up in the pan into a deliciously united finished product with no mealiness, mushiness, or falling apart.