What to Make With Potatoes

Small potatoes halved and roasted at high heat are the single best weeknight potato. Toss 1 1/2 pounds of halved baby potatoes with 2 tablespoons of oil and a teaspoon of salt, spread them cut-side down on a sheet pan, and roast at 425°F (220°C) for 30 to 35 minutes until the cut sides are deep golden and crackling.

The trick is boiling them first. Simmer the halves in salted water for 10 minutes, drain, and shake the pot so the edges rough up. Those rough edges are what turn shatteringly crisp in the oven. Give them space on the pan — crowded potatoes steam instead of crisping.

Mashed potatoes go wrong in two predictable ways: they are gluey, or they are bland. Gluey comes from overworking the starch, so use a hand masher or fork and stop as soon as they are smooth. Bland comes from under-salting, so salt the cooking water like pasta water and taste at the end.

Boil 2 pounds of chunks in salted water until a knife slides through with no resistance, about 15 minutes. Drain, let the steam escape for a minute, then mash with 4 tablespoons of butter and warm milk added a splash at a time. Warm milk matters — cold milk cools the mash and makes it seize up.

When there is nothing in the fridge but toppings, a baked potato becomes dinner. Scrub 4 russets, prick each a few times with a fork so steam escapes, and bake directly on the oven rack at 400°F (200°C) for 45 to 60 minutes. They are done when the skin is crisp and the potato gives easily when you squeeze it with an oven mitt.

Split, fluff the inside with a fork, and top with whatever is open: leftover chili or taco meat, shredded cheese, sour cream, canned beans, or a fried egg. One large potato per person is a real dinner.

Home fries from raw potatoes beat frozen because you control the crisp. Dice 1 1/2 pounds of potatoes into 1/2-inch cubes, soak them in cold water for 10 minutes, then dry them thoroughly in a clean towel. The soak pulls off surface starch so they brown instead of sticking.

Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the potatoes in a single layer and do not touch them for 4 to 5 minutes, until the undersides are golden. Flip in sections and cook 4 to 5 minutes more. Season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of smoked paprika if you have it.

Potato soup is what to make when the bag is getting soft and you have broth. Dice 2 pounds of potatoes and one onion, and soften the onion in 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and 4 cups of broth, simmer 15 to 20 minutes until the potatoes fall apart, then mash some of them right in the pot for body.

Finish with 1/2 cup of milk or cream and salt to taste. A handful of shredded cheese or crumbled bacon on top makes it feel like a full meal, and it reheats well for 3 to 4 days.

Cooked potatoes are a head start, not a leftover problem. Cold boiled or baked potatoes make the best fried potatoes because the starch has firmed up overnight — dice and crisp them in a hot oiled skillet for 5 to 7 minutes over medium-high heat. Day-old mashed potatoes become potato pancakes or the topping on a shepherd's pie.

Cut-up cooked potatoes also go straight into a frittata or a breakfast hash with a fried egg on top. The rule is the same as for all cooked leftovers: refrigerate within 2 hours and use them within 3 to 4 days.

Raw potatoes keep longest in a cool, dark, dry spot — a pantry corner or a paper bag, never a sealed plastic bag, which traps moisture. Stored this way they last 2 to 4 months depending on the variety. Do not refrigerate raw potatoes: cold temperatures convert their starch to sugar, which affects both taste and how they brown.

Keep them away from onions, which give off gases that speed sprouting. Check the bag weekly and use up any that are softening. Cooked potatoes go in the fridge in an airtight container and keep 3 to 4 days.