Do you know what the worst thing is? When you got to a shop and they don’t sell individual potatoes. They only sell them in 1kg bags. Or worse, giant brown bags that are the size of your oven.
Does Sainsburys think you’re running an orphanage for poor but chirpy children who feast on potatoes? Or are they imagining that you’re the kind of girl who can whip up a roast dinner for 30 of your nearest and dearest at a moment’s notice?
Well, we’ve got news for you Sainsburys: we’re not. In fact we’re rubbish at anything that involves planning. Which is why we’ve always got leftover potatoes in our cupboards.
So, until supermarkets come to their senses and only sell potatoes individually, here’s a few things to do with the ones you’ve got left...
1. Sweetcorn And Potato Pancakes
Time: 20 minutes
If every Tuesday you’re like, ‘What’s the deal with pancakes, they’re kind of shit’, then give up on the boring old egg, flour, water thing and go down the savoury route with these sweetcorn and potato pancakes from All Recipes.They’re veggie, gluten-free, and super cheap – all you need to add is a bit of garlic, eggs and flour and seasonings. Make when you’re poor and tired.
2. Bombay Potatoes
Time: 20 minutes
If you’re a smart lady, you make your rice at home when you order an Indian. So much cheaper and you’ve got the option to substitute starchy white rice for brown rice. How’s about making some of your sides too while you wait for the delivery guy to show up? Bombay potatoes are basically just potatoes rolled in lots of delicious spices but taste like they’ve been ordered from the best Indian in town. Head to The Cooking Doctor for the full recipe.
3. Microwave Spanish Omelette
Time: 5 minutes
Because no-one’s got time to make a WHOLE spanish omelette (OK, so it takes like 15 minutes longer, but whatever). This one that Jo Eats London made for The Debrief takes under five minutes to make and tastes just as good as if you’d baked the whole damn thing. Switch out the bacon for chorizo if you’re feeling particularly spicy. Head here for the full recipe.
4. Jacket Potato Beans And Cheese
Time: 15 minutes
Just in case there’s some of you out there who still haven’t mastered the simple art of the perfect jacket potato. Here’s how it goes down. Pierce your potato a couple of times with a knife, splash water on your potato and sprinkle salt over it. Whack it in the microwave on ‘high’ for 7-12 mins (depends how big your potato is, mate). Then, when it’s squishy, put it in the pre-warmed oven for 10 minutes to crisp it up.
In the meantime, cook the baked beans on the hob (add some paprika or sriracha if you’re feeling naughty) and grate the cheese (red leicester all the way). Put a layer of cheese over the butter but under the baked beans. Add another one on top. Put worcester sauce on top of that.
5. Potato chips
Time: 25 minutes
Probably not the quickest way to get your hands on a bag of crisps but it’s a darn sight healthier than grabbing a bag of Walkers. Follow this recipe from This Week For Dinner to make your own potato chips (CRISPS) in the microwave like an absolute champion. Making your own crisps means you’ve reached peak Pinterest, btw. So congrats on that.
6. Leek & Potato Soup
Time: 40 minutes
A lot of potato soups are pretty damn creamy so they don’t register high on the health scale, but they do very well on the delicious scale. This Leek & Potato soup is light on the ingredients and even lighter on the time it takes to bung it all in a pan and get it going. Head to The Greedy Gourmet for the full recipe. Make loads and Tupperware it up for lunch for the next few days.
7. Sweet potato and cinammon bread
Time: 80 minutes
Yeah. Inhaling your vegetables through the medium of desserts. That’s the smart way to do it. This does take a while, so probs best to leave it to the weekend but, do it on a Sunday and you’ve got munching stuff for you and your housemates for the rest of the afternoon. Get the full recipe at Averie Cooks.
Like this? Then you might also be interested in:
Here’s A Healthy, Cheap 5 Minute Thai Green Curry You Can Make Tonight
Follow Jess on Twitter @Jess_Commons
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.