Leftover Mashed Potato Gnocchi

Gnocchi ready to be cooked

Potatoes are tricky buggers.  Even when I make what seems a conservative amount of mashed taters, I always end up with a mountain of leftovers.  The unfortunate thing is that mashed potatoes end up a bit dry and flabby when reheated so I gravitate toward one crafty solution – leftover mashed potato gnocchi.

I’ve been intrigued by these little dumplings since I first saw them on the Frugal Gourmet as a kid in the 80’s.  I made my mom help me make them and I’ve been a fan ever since.  You should make them too since they’re literally so easy a child could make them.  In execution, think edible Play Doh, in taste, think fluffy pillows of delicious.

Ingredients

2 cups of mashed potato

1 cup of flour (add more if you’re mashed potatoes were looser in consistency)

1 teaspoon of grated nutmeg

Leftover 'taters and flour

Add some nutmeg

Gently knead the dough just to combine the ingredients.  

The dough will be a little lumpy

Once the dough comes together, break off a fistful and roll it on a flat surface fo form a inch thick snakes.  

It's ok if your hands are covered in dough

Cut snakes into 1/2 inch bits.  

Chop!

Gently roll each bit across the back of a fork to add a bit of an indent.  

The indents catch sauce and make the dumplings lighter

Drop the gnocchi one by one into boiling salted water.  Once the gnocchi float, they're ready to be fished out and served. 

They’re delicious as is with a bit of parmesan cheese or tossed in some brown butter and crispy sage.