My admiration for the starchy spud knows no bounds, so it was a struggle to narrow down the dish list to just eight. Hopefully, however, this article will inspire you to conduct your own research in this field.
Before I plough into our list: what makes the humble potato so elite? Firstly, they’re so so filling. Importantly from a student’s perspective, potatoes are relatively cheap; a quick browse of Tesco saw prices starting from £1.25 for 2.5kg of Maris Pipers, not bad at all considering the quantity of delicious food that can be extracted from them. Furthermore, the potato offers fiber, potassium, and vitamins C and B6 - all which support a healthy heart.
So, what can you make??
Rösti cakes
Rösti cakes are basically Hash Browns but they're Swiss; grated potato, egg, flour and onion combined into a sort of dough, seasoned, then fried.
Potato salad
Boil some new potatoes, then cut into chunks and throw into a bowl alongside some shallots, mayonaise and some herbs. Easy! Fast! And very tasty.
Soup
Potatoes offer a whole host of combos when it comes to soup; potatoes with lentils, with leeks, pretty much any grain / veg / meat combo compliments the versatile potato in this liquid dish.
Jacket Potatoes
Jacket potatoes: one of the best uses of the potato as a vehicle. Takes a bit of time, but worth the wait. Bake for 20 mins at 220 degrees with some olive oil, then tone it down to 190 degrees for another hour or so (give or take depending on size).
Crisps
Offering a flavoursome but light snack, crisps are a wonderful potato use. Easy to buy from the supermarket, but have you ever made your own? Don't bother, it's time consuming and you won't be outdoing Walkers.
Saag Aloo
The base of this Indian dish is boiled or fried potatoes in a curry with leaves, (typically spinach or mustard), then served with roti, rice, or naan.
Roasted
When done well, I easily think roasted potatoes are the best potato format going. Roast in butter, or olive oil (or goose / duck fat even, if you're feeling boujee).
Mashed
Make a creamy mashed potato right, and you’ve got yourself an easy side, adornment for a shepherd's pie, or (let’s be real) snack straight from the bowl. Looking to mix it up a bit? Add garlic. Or try using sweet potato for a funky orange hue.
Sweet potato chocolate cake
Shock! I thought I’d conclude this exploration of potato potential with a pudding. Potato in a cake? It may not apeel to you on first thought, but don’t knock it ‘til you’ve tried it. Here’s a good recipe.
And that’s it! Eight potato possibilities. The word 'potato' no longer looks real to me. I hope I’ve converted you to the side of the potato!