15 Potato Hacks You'll Wish You'd Learned A Whole Lot Sooner

Never met a potato I didn't like.

1. Save a ton of time by making baked potatoes in the microwave — instead of the oven or stove.

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They're done in 5–6 minutes flat. After washing your potato, poke holes on every side using a fork and microwave it. When it's done heating, squeeze the side of your potato using an oven mitt, then cut and fill with your favorite toppings, like sour cream, bacon bits, or a sprinkle of salt. More here.

2. To quickly peel potatoes, run a sharp blade around the middle of your potatoes before boiling them.

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After they're done and cooled, the outside layer should peel right off. It'll be a quicker and tidier process than trying to individually peel each potato using a peeler. Watch the tutorial here.

3. Make potato chips by slicing them on a mandolin and microwaving them for 2 minutes and 30 seconds.

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Simply place the sliced potatoes on a piece of parchment paper and sprinkle with salt. Then microwave for 2.5 minutes. No oil required. More here.

4. Fry up potato slices and use them as an ingredient in a grilled cheese sandwich.

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It's an alternative to the ol' potato-chips-in-a-sandwich trick. Recipe here.

5. For a new take on fried potatoes, make squashed potatoes.

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Just boil potatoes, squash them with the base of a heavy pan, then fry them with some garlic cloves in olive oil. Recipe here.

6. Fix an overly salty soup by adding a quartered potato to absorb the excess sodium.

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And thankfully, potatoes go well in basically any soup. More here.

7. For extra-flavorful mashed potatoes, boil potatoes in a mixture of cream, butter, and olive oil (instead of water), then blend the potato water with the potatoes.

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It's how Tyler Florence makes mashed potatoes, and it's honestly genius. More here.

8. Make sweet potato gnocchi using a mix of mashed sweet potatoes and flour.

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This recipe requires just sweet potatoes and flour to make the gnocchi, plus whatever sauce you want to top your pasta with. Recipe here.

9. Slice up sweet potatoes to make a nutritious alternative to toast.

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Sweet potatoes = loaded with vitamin A and fiber. Recipe here.

10. Make croutons by chopping sweet potatoes into extra-small cubes and roasting them for an extra few minutes.

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Works with both golden and sweet potatoes. Recipe here.

11. Slice potatoes into short rounds to make quick Super Bowl finger food.

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Top with bacon, sliced green onions, and cheese for a party favorite. Recipe here.

12. Have eggs and flour? Make leftover mashed potato waffles.

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Mix in cheese, chives, or even sweet ingredients like dried fruit and chopped caramelized almonds to jazz 'em up. Recipe here.

13. Make mashed potato cups and fill 'em with cheese.

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It's the best thing since sliced bread. Learn how to make the cups here.

14. Use leftover potato water to make gravy.

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Combine broth, a bit of water left over from boiling potatoes, and salt and pepper. Add half a tablespoon of cornstarch if you find that the broth needs a little more thickening.

15. Make DOUGHNUTS!

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Follow this recipe to magically transform leftover mashed potatoes into tasty, sugar-topped doughnuts.