Waffled Mashed Potatoes With Bacon, Scallion, and Cheddar Recipe

Waffling your leftover mashed potatoes gives them a second life that may be even better than their first.

By
Daniel Shumski
Headshot of Daniel Shumski, a Contributing Writer at Serious Eats
Daniel Shumski
Daniel Shumski is a writer, editor, and recipe developer. He has written four cookbooks, including Will it Waffle?, and has written for the Los Angeles Times and The Washington Post.
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Updated Nov. 03, 2022
Waffled mashed potatoes resting on a wire rack.
Waffled mashed potatoes are perfect for leftovers, but so good you might make mashed potatoes just to waffle them.

Serious Eats / Daniel Shumski

Why It Works

  • The high, two-sided heat of the waffle iron crisps the ridges of the potatoes and provides crunch while leaving an inner core that's soft and fluffy.
  • The dimpled geometry of the waffled mashed potatoes provides a welcoming base for gravy or other sauces.

Don't ask me how I've managed to use the waffle iron to prepare a lengthy list of foods—churros, s'mores, ramen—without waffling mashed potatoes. Mashed potatoes are closer to waffles than any of those things, and the iron makes for perfect crunchy edges and almost custom-designed gravy wells.

Like this mashed potato casserole, I'm going with the baked potato sidekicks of scallions, cheddar, and bacon. If you're going to make mashed potato waffles, you might as well go whole hog.

Close up view of waffled mashed potatoes resting on a wire rack.
With the waffle iron, mashed potatoes are even better the second time around.

Serious Eats / Daniel Shumski

I have inveterate waffler and writer Stephanie Le to thank for these waffled potatoes. She's the force behind iamafoodblog.com and the author of the inspiring and attractive cookbook Easy Gourmet: Awesome Recipes Anyone Can Cook. Her potato waffles recipe, which I've adapted here, is perfect for using up leftover Thanksgiving mashed potatoes, although you may find yourself making mashed potatoes just for this purpose. They're that good.

This recipe is adapted from Easy Gourmet: Awesome Recipes Anyone Can Cook.

November 2014

Recipe Facts

4

(1)

Active: 20 mins
Total: 20 mins
Serves: 4 to 6 servings

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Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • 1/4 cup buttermilk

  • 2 large eggs

  • 2 1/2 cups leftover or freshly made fluffy mashed potatoes

  • 1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions, white and light green parts only

  • 1 cup cooked bacon, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces

  • 1 cup grated cheddar cheese

  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • Nonstick cooking spray

Directions

  1. Preheat waffle iron. (If it has temperature adjustment, set it to medium.) If you want to keep finished waffled mashed potatoes warm, preheat oven to 225°F (110°C).

  2. In a large bowl, whisk together oil, buttermilk, and eggs. Add mashed potatoes, scallions, bacon, and cheese. Mix well.

  3. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pepper. Fold into potato mixture until evenly incorporated.

  4. Spray both sides of waffle iron with nonstick spray and place about 1/2 cup of potato mixture onto each section of waffle iron. Cook until golden brown and crispy, about 3 minutes.

  5. Remove from waffle iron, place in preheated oven to keep warm, and repeat previous step with remaining batter.

  6. For a leftover Thanksgiving meal, serve topped with gravy, cranberry sauce, and/or turkey. For breakfast or brunch, serve topped with a fried egg.

Special Equipment

Waffle iron

Notes

The recipe will work in either a Belgian or standard-style waffle iron.

If the Thanksgiving leftover spirit moves you, replace about 1/2 cup of the mashed potatoes with stuffing. The bacon may be swapped out for an equivalent amount of cooked, crumbled sausage.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
347 Calories
21g Fat
25g Carbs
14g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 347
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 21g 27%
Saturated Fat 7g 34%
Cholesterol 95mg 32%
Sodium 953mg 41%
Total Carbohydrate 25g 9%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 14g
Vitamin C 11mg 54%
Calcium 206mg 16%
Iron 1mg 7%
Potassium 441mg 9%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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