Don't Throw Out Those Leftover Potatoes, Toss Them In Your Eggs Instead

Potatoes, potatoes, potatoes — they're always on our mind. Satiating, satisfying, savory, and sometimes sweet, potatoes are the holy grail of cooking. But as delicious as they are, it always seems like leftover potatoes — in any form — get dumped into the trash. Have you ever tasted leftover french fries? Soggy spuds are a culinary faux pas, plus they just don't taste good.

But food waste is an even bigger problem than soggy leftover potatoes. According to Feeding America, 40% of food in the United States goes to waste, which exacerbates the climate crisis by fueling dangerous greenhouse gas emissions. Repurposing leftovers is one of the best ways to avoid wasting food. Luckily, there's a perfect use for leftover potatoes that doesn't include your trash can. The solution in question? Add them to your morning eggs.

Leftover potatoes can lose some of their moisture and become less flavorful when stored in the refrigerator. Sautéing them in a hot pan with a little oil or butter reheats them quickly, restoring their crunch and making them a great textural addition to a scrambled egg medley. Together, eggs and potatoes make for a satisfying and filling breakfast. Potatoes have a naturally mild flavor that pairs well with a wide range of additional ingredients, so you can spice up the dish with whatever else you're craving, without compromising the potato and egg synchronicity. 

Home fries? French fries? While both options make for excellent egg infusion, just about any type of potato works well with eggs. Hashbrowns are a tried and true partner for eggs that you can easily reheat for a comforting breakfast. Scalloped potatoes are a luxurious option that can give your eggs a buttery, smooth complexity that's complemented by their subtly crisp edges. Sweet potatoes can offer a batch of savory eggs a gentle candied flavor, giving your morning meal a delicate contrast that's never overpowering. What about baked potatoes? Well, even leftover baked potatoes work well with eggs. Cut those spuds open and fill the baked potato with scrambled eggs to give a classic twice-baked potato a brunchy twist. It doesn't stop there — a dollop of leftover buttery mashed potatoes can make your egg scramble creamier, softer, and fluffier

It's not just potatoes that come in many forms, eggs are equally versatile. Cook your eggs over easy and break them over a pile of potatoes for an oozy topping that doubles as a sauce. A hard-boiled egg will give your potato and egg dish a fuller mouthfeel while a crispy fried egg brings texture and crunch to softer potatoes. Eggs are also a quintessential cooking binder, which means you can cook them into casseroles, protein bites, muffins, and pies with leftover potatoes and any extra ingredients without worrying about the dish losing its shape.

The natural flavors of both potato and egg are mild, so add complementary ingredients to jazz up the dish. Spicy ingredients like freshly diced jalapeño or crushed red pepper flakes will add depth and fire to your potato and egg medley without killing off the creamy, buttery essence of their combined spirit. And you can never go wrong with garlic and onion, which will add a familiar zing to your eggy potatoes. Include classic breakfast proteins like bacon, sausage, turkey, or cheese for a more well-rounded and nutritious meal. Vegetables make a welcome addition as well. Try adding spinach, bell peppers, fennel, broccoli, or arugula for a burst of color and a fresh flavor or an earthy essence to the dish.

If you prefer your potato and egg dish to have a little more complexity, try building out meals that call for extra pizzazz. Consider assembling a traditional Spanish tortilla — a potato omelet that can be customized as much as you'd like. And who doesn't love quiche? Baking homefries or scalloped potatoes into an eggy pie with additional ingredients and toppings is a surefire winner. Have cereal for breakfast and save the potatoes and eggs for a Nicoise salad — a French medley that calls for potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, and a handful of other nutrient-dense ingredients. Whichever way you choose to use your leftover potatoes, as long as it doesn't involve the trash can — you're doing it right!