Grab the spare spuds (and just two other ingredients!) to whip up a light and fluffy recipe for Leftover Mashed Potato Gnocchi.
Whether it’s an ordinary weeknight or Turkey Day just passed, one thing is certain: When faced with leftover mashed potatoes, quick-fix gnocchi is an absolute must.
Gnocchi tend to get a bad rap for how laborious they are to make. First you cook the potatoes, then you rice the potatoes, then you mix the potatoes, then you… tear open the bag of store-bought gnocchi because nobody has time for that. Just give me the dang pillowy carbs!
Leftover mashed potatoes are the ultimate shortcut for homemade gnocchi. Add a little flour and an egg, and we are in business.
It’s really as simple as mixing everything together, rolling the dough into ropes then slicing them into gnocchi nuggets. Give ’em a quick roll off the back of a fork to get those perfect, quintessential gnocchi indentations and all that’s left to do is choose your sauce.
I don’t discriminate when it comes to how one dresses mashed potato gnocchi. Pesto and marinara sauce are both great choices, but if simplicity is your goal, try brown butter sauce.
Simply melt unsalted butter in a saucepan until it becomes golden and toasted, then toss in some fresh sage leaves and a pinch of salt and pepper.
Looking for more ways to use up leftover mashed potatoes? Don’t miss these top-rated recipes:
- Leftover Mashed Potato Pancakes
- Leftover Mashed Potato Muffins
- Leftover Mashed Potato Balls
- Leftover Mashed Potato Waffles
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Ingredients
- 1 cup leftover mashed potatoes, chilled or room temp
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
- 1 large egg
- Sauces for serving, such as marinara, brown butter or pesto
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the mashed potatoes, 1 cup flour and egg, mixing until combined.
- Flour your work surface then turn the gnocchi dough out onto your work surface and knead it with your hands until it comes together into a ball and is no longer sticky. (Slowly incorporate additional flour as needed.)
- Divide the ball into four pieces then roll each piece into a 1-inch-thick rope. Cut each rope into 1-inch gnocchi.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the gnocchi and cook them until they float to the top, about 2 minutes, then remove them with a slotted spoon and serve immediately with your preferred sauce.
Kelly's Note:
- All leftover mashed potatoes will vary in consistency and that will determine exactly how much flour is needed. Begin with one cup then add more flour as needed until the dough is pliable and not too sticky.
- ★ Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to give it a star rating below!
Nutrition
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Recipe by Kelly Senyei of Just a Taste. Please do not reprint this recipe without my permission. If you'd like to feature this recipe on your site, please rewrite the method of preparation and link to this post as the original source.
And, as an aside, yes, we had to add extra flour. But that’s par for the course, as so many factors affect the stickiness, pliability and firmness of dough.
Yes, so true, Andrea! I’m thrilled you enjoyed the recipe!
Just wow! Absolutely delish. Tripled my recipe b/c we had so many leftover mashed potatoes. My Italian grandparents would have def given 2 thumbs up! Because they’re no longer with us, went on YouTube to follow this lovely Italian grandma roll!
I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe, Andrea!
I’ve looked around for the flour to potato ratio and can’t seem to find one.
Hi Lily! The recipe is listed above. For every cup of leftover mashed potatoes, you’ll need 1 cup of flour (plus more as needed until the dough is pliable and not too sticky).
This didn’t work for me. We had to add too much flour to get the dough reasonable, and ended up with bread tasting gnocchi, very dense and chewy. If you plan on trying, do not add too much flour and just deal with the stickiness. We won’t be attempting it again
I’m so sorry you didn’t enjoy the recipe, Danielle.
I was looking for a potato pancake recipe to use up our leftover mashed potatoes and came across the gnocchi one. It was very easy to make and my wife was delighted with the hot lunch surprise that I made for her. Great with marinara and will try pesto next time
Yay! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Mike!
Can they be frozen? I have a lot of leftover mashed potatoes!
That should work well, Cherie!
Awesome, I was wondering the same. Will be saving this recipe to try, thank you so much Kelly! (and Cherie, for asking the question)
I hope you enjoy the gnocchi, Nora!
Trying tonight! Thanks for posting!!
You are so welcome, Cera! I hope you enjoy the recipe!
The gnocchi was perfect!
I did add some nutmeg.
I’m thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Jeannette!