A bag of potatoes can stretch a grocery budget further than almost any other ingredient. Turn them into soup for a filling dinner, roast them for an easy side dish, or add them to breakfast so everyone stays full longer. This collection of easy potato recipes covers soups, salads, casseroles, crispy sides, and breakfasts, with plenty of ways to put that humble bag to work.
Potato Soup Recipes
A big, warm bowl of potato soup is hard to beat. Adding potatoes to any soup instantly takes it to a new level. Here are top picks for the best potato soups.
1. Classic Potato Soup
This easy classic potato soup turns a handful of everyday ingredients into a thick, creamy, and deeply comforting meal in under an hour. It is thick and creamy without heavy cream or expensive add-ins. The recipe makes six generous servings for around $0.90 each, making it serious budget comfort food.
2. Ham and Potato Soup
This ham and potato soup is creamy but not too heavy, loaded with fresh veggies and salty ham. It is perfect for the seasonal transition. Leftover ham works well here, and a ham steak can be used if there are no leftovers in the fridge. It is loaded with tender potatoes, carrots, celery, and salty ham for an easy dinner soup.
3. Zuppa Toscana
This version of zuppa toscana is packed with Italian sausage, kale, creamy potatoes, and white beans in a rich, flavorful broth. It is hearty, veggie-packed, and exactly the sort of cozy soup that belongs on the menu once the weather starts to cool down. It is creamy, filling, and flavorful, similar to The Olive Garden’s version but made from scratch.
4. Potato Leek Soup
This creamy potato leek soup is rich and cozy, made with buttery leeks, tender potatoes, and a few simple techniques for the best texture. Some of the potatoes are mashed and blended while others are kept whole, leaving a nice mix of silky soup and tender potato pieces.
5. Potato Corn Chowder
Sweet corn and tender potatoes make this potato corn chowder extra hearty without sending the grocery bill through the roof. It is creamy, cozy, and seriously flavorful, and makes eight servings for about $0.68 each. This is the ultimate vegetarian comfort food, with tender potatoes, corn, and a rich, velvety broth.
6. Creamy Loaded Potato Soup
Loaded potato soup is like a favorite baked potato with all the fixins, including bacon, sour cream, green onion, and cheese, but in a bowl. It takes classic potato soup firmly into comfort-food territory with chunky potato pieces, a velvety creamy base, and plenty of room for favorite toppings. Add bacon, cheese, green onions, sour cream, or whatever is on hand.
More Hearty Main Dishes Featuring Potatoes
Potatoes are not just for side dishes. They are also a favorite way to bulk up a meal without spending a lot of extra money, and they really do fill you up for pennies.
7. Ham and Potato Casserole
This ham and potato casserole is loaded with tender potatoes, salty ham, sharp cheddar, and a creamy homemade sauce. Everything bakes together until hot, bubbly, and golden around the edges. It is hearty enough for dinner, but it also works well for brunch, holidays, or anytime an easy meal is needed that feeds a crowd.
8. Sheet Pan Kielbasa, Potatoes, and Green Beans
This sheet pan kielbasa, potatoes, and green beans dinner needs only six ingredients, making it a great option for busy nights. The smoky kielbasa and steak seasoning give the potatoes a lot of flavor as they cook. Not much else is needed here, as this is already a full meal on one pan.
9. Smoky Potato Chickpea Stew
This hearty and delicious smoky potato chickpea stew is full of lots of veggies and simmered in a smoky, warm broth that is perfect year-round but especially during the winter season. It is a totally vegan soup that is great to stock the freezer with.
Potato Salad Recipes
Whether you like potato salad creamy and classic, warm and tangy, or with a little Cajun kick, these easy potato salads are perfect for cookouts and potlucks. There is no need to wait for summer to come back around to make them.
10. Classic Southern Potato Salad
This creamy potato salad uses both mustard and mayonnaise for a super flavorful dressing that is rich, tangy, and classic. It has a rich mayo-and-mustard dressing, tender potatoes, and plenty of crunch from celery and green onions. It is an easy, crowd-friendly side for cookouts, holidays, or pretty much any family gathering.
11. German Potato Salad
This Southern German-style potato salad is made with tender potatoes, crispy bacon, onions, and a tangy mustard-vinegar dressing instead of mayo. Thick-cut potatoes, crispy bacon, and a tangy mayo-free dressing give it a completely different flavor and texture from the classic version.
12. Cajun Potato Salad
Cajun potato salad is creamy, spicy, smoky, and absolutely packed with flavor. It is the perfect side dish for any summer gathering. It has a little bit of a kick thanks to the Cajun seasoning and a dash of hot sauce, but it still maintains that creamy, delicious flavor and texture.
Classic Side Dishes
Mashed, baked, roasted, smothered in cheese: potatoes really can do it all. These classic sides are cozy, budget-friendly, easy, and always welcome at the dinner table.
13. Mashed Potatoes
A big bowl of buttery mashed potatoes is hard to beat when craving comfort but trying to stay within budget. This classic version is fluffy, creamy, genuinely easy to make, and versatile enough to serve with everything, from stews and casseroles to meatloaf and roasted veggies. There is really no wrong answer when mashed potatoes are the question.
14. Classic Baked Potatoes
A classic baked potato is one of those budget-friendly sides that works again and again. They are inexpensive, filling, and that crispy skin and fluffy center is the perfect blank canvas for whatever toppings are on hand. The recipe shows how to make the best baked potatoes with flavorful, crispy skin and fluffy insides in three easy steps, plus baked potato topping ideas.
15. Twice Baked Potatoes
Twice baked potatoes are the ultimate comfort food featuring fluffy mashed potatoes, bacon, cheddar cheese, and more delicious toppings. They are loaded with bacon, cheese, sour cream, and butter, then baked until golden on top with crisp potato skins. They are a little more indulgent than a regular baked potato, but still easy and budget-friendly.
16. Scalloped Potatoes
These rich and creamy scalloped potatoes are the perfect comfort food side dish to pair with a holiday meal or any weeknight dinner. Thinly sliced potatoes are layered with a rich, velvety milk-based sauce, then baked until tender and creamy. They are holiday-table worthy, but simple enough to serve with a regular weeknight dinner, too.
17. Potatoes Au Gratin
When only cheesy potatoes will do, make potatoes au gratin. It has layers of tender potatoes and plenty of cheddar, all baked together until bubbly and golden on top. Thinly sliced potatoes baked in a creamy, cheesy sauce make this recipe pure potato casserole heaven.
18. Oven Roasted Potatoes
Roasted potatoes are a favorite low-fuss side because they can go in the oven while the rest of dinner is prepared. These oven roasted potatoes get a quick parboil first, which roughs up the surface and helps create extra crispy, deeply golden edges in the oven. The centers stay wonderfully soft and creamy. The recipe uses russet potatoes and simple seasonings.
Breakfast Recipes
Potatoes for breakfast are an inexpensive way to make breakfast a whole lot more filling, whether they are crisped in a skillet, roasted in the oven, or paired with eggs and ham. These recipes are perfect for weekend breakfasts, brunch, and meal prep.
19. Ham and Potato Frittata
Potatoes, eggs, and ham come together in this ham and potato frittata for a seriously filling breakfast on a budget. The thinly sliced potatoes bulk out the frittata without adding much cost, and it reheats well, so you can cook once and have breakfast ready for the next few days.
20. Skillet Breakfast Potatoes
These skillet breakfast potatoes have a buttery, tender inside and crispy golden brown outside. They are super easy and always a favorite. They are buttery and tender in the middle with crisp, golden edges, and they cook right on the stovetop. Serve them with eggs and toast for an easy, filling breakfast.
21. Smoky Roasted Breakfast Potatoes
These smoky roasted breakfast potatoes cook in the oven, leaving hands and pans free to cook eggs and enjoy a stress-free breakfast. A generous sprinkle of smoked paprika gives them tons of flavor, and because they cook in the oven, you can get on with the eggs, bacon, or whatever else is being served alongside them.
22. Country Breakfast Bowls
Country breakfast bowls combine roasted potatoes, scrambled eggs, salsa, and cheese for an easy freezer-friendly make-ahead breakfast meal prep. Seasoned roasted potatoes are topped with scrambled eggs, salsa, and cheddar for a filling breakfast that can be stashed in the fridge or freezer. In the morning, all you need to do is heat one up and dig in.
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