Life As A Strawberry

Let's Talk About Food.

  • About
  • Recipes
  • Bread Book!
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

November 1, 2018

Leftover Mashed Potatoes Gnocchi (With Video!)

Wondering what to do with leftover mashed potatoes? This easy homemade potato gnocchi is light, pillowy, and ready in 20 minutes! With how-to video. Vegetarian.

This post contains affiliate links: if you buy something we’ll earn a small commission at no cost to you.

In a hurry? Click here to jump straight to the recipe & video!

overhead photo of gnocchi in a white bowl atop a striped napkin, topped with parmesan cheese and fresh basil

Earlier this week, we walked through Mashed Potatoes 101 and our Ultimate Mashed Potatoes recipe!

Today, we’re talking LEFTOVERS. Specifically, we’re talking about these gnocchi made from leftover mashed potatoes (*cue happy dance*).

overhead photo of mashed potatoes, flour, and an egg in a glass bowl on a black countertop

These homemade gnocchi are soft, pillow-y, and – most importantly – a way to use any leftover mashed potato without just, y’know, reheating old mashed potatoes a million times (shoutout to all my leftover haters!! I GOT YOU).

overhead photo of prepared gnocchi dough in a glass bowl on a black countertop

Traditional gnocchi, of course, is not made with buttery, creamy mashed potatoes (click here if you’re looking for an authentic Italian gnocchi recipe!) 

But when you’re up to your eyeballs in leftovers (looking at you, Thanksgiving) and sick of eating the same reheated thing over.and.over.and.over again, making mashed potato gnocchi with your leftovers is a quick and delicious way to mix things up.

overhead photo of a sheet pan with fresh gnocchi next to a cutting board where gnocchi is being cut with a knife

Some things to know about this gnocchi:

You only need THREE ingredients: flour, an egg, and your leftover mashed potatoes.

This recipe is more about technique than anything – the amount of flour you need will vary depending on the consistency of your mashed potatoes. Be sure to read all of the recipe notes for best results!

How to freeze gnocchi

These gnocchi freeze VERY well!

Line a baking sheet with a nonstick baking mat and lay gnocchi out in a single layer. Freeze for 2-3 hours, then throw the frozen gnocchi in an airtight container (I love my reusable Stasher Bag!) for up to 3 months.

When you’re ready to eat, drop the frozen gnocchi directly into boiling water to cook.

fresh, uncooked gnocchi on a white background

How to serve gnocchi

These gnocchi are equally delicious with a hearty sauce (think braised short ribs and tomato, parmesan spinach alfredo, or mac and cheese sauce) or served simply with some melted butter, herbs, and parmesan (which is what we did for these photos!)

overhead photo of cooked gnocchi in a silver skillet sitting on a black countertop

You can roll your gnocco over a gnocchi board or the tines of a fork if you’re looking for some nice ridges to help you sop up extra sauce. I usually make these as part of a quick, clean-out-the-fridge dinner, so I generally skip that step in the interest of time (#lazy).

Whichever way you sauce ’em, these leftover mashed potatoes gnocchi are sure to be a hit – even with proud members of the “I hate leftovers” club.

fresh gnocchi topped with parmesan cheese in a white bowl with a copper spoon

VIDEO: HOW TO MAKE GNOCCHI WITH LEFTOVER MASHED POTATOES

  Print
clock clock icon cutlery cutlery icon flag flag icon folder folder icon instagram instagram icon pinterest pinterest icon facebook facebook icon print print icon squares squares icon
overhead photo of gnocchi in a shallow white bowl with a copper spoon on a black table

Leftover Mashed Potato Gnocchi

★★★★★ 4.8 from 12 reviews
  • Author: Jessie
  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 5 mins
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 2–4 1x
  • Category: Entree
  • Cuisine: Italian
  • Diet: Vegetarian
Print
Pin

Description

An easy homemade gnocchi recipe made with leftover mashed potatoes.


Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 cup leftover mashed potatoes (cold and straight out of the fridge is fine!)
  • 1 egg
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1–2 cups all-purpose flour, divided (you may not need it all)

Don’t forget to read the recipe notes before you start – they’ll help you make the best gnocchi possible!


Instructions

  1. Add mashed potatoes, egg, and a pinch of salt to a large mixing bowl.
  2. Add 1/4 cup of flour to the bowl and gently stir to combine. The amount of flour you need will vary based on your mashed potato recipe – I find I usually need around 1 cup to get a gnocchi consistency I like. I recommend adding flour 1/4 cup at a time until the dough feels right. You can mix the first bit of flour in with a spoon or spatula, but after that it’s helpful to use your hands to finish mixing. When the dough is ready, it should be soft and pliable, but not sticky. Avoid overworking the dough – this can cause chewy, gummy gnocchi.
  3. Lightly flour a large cutting board and a sheet pan or large plate.
  4. Use a knife to divide gnocchi dough into 4 or 5 sections. Place one section of dough on the cutting board and use your hands to gently roll it into a long rope, a little less than 1″ thick. If the dough gets sticky as you roll it, dust it with some extra flour.
  5. Use a knife to cut the rope of dough into 1″ pieces – these are your gnocchi! Transfer the cut gnocchi to your lightly floured sheet pan and repeat the rolling and cutting process with the remaining dough. If you’d like, you can roll each gnocco across a gnocchi board or the tines of a fork to form ridges (see recipe notes).
  6. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add a generous pinch or two of salt.
  7. Carefully add gnocchi to boiling water give them a gentle stir. Cook for 2-3 minutes until gnocchi float to the top of the water. Drain and toss with your favorite sauce.

For the sauce: For these photos, I melted 4 Tablespoons of unsalted butter in a skillet with fresh rosemary, basil, salt, and pepper, then tossed it with the gnocchi and a splash of the gnocchi’s cooking water. The gnocchi are topped with shaved parmesan, an extra dusting of fresh ground black pepper, and fresh basil. I also love these gnocchi with tomato sauce, browned butter and sage, garlic alfredo, or my parmesan spinach gnocchi recipe!


Notes

A note about potatoes: I’ve tested this gnocchi with a variety of different mashed potatoes – it’s worked fine whether your potatoes are riced, mashed with lumps, peeled, or with some skins. (For more on mashing techniques, check out Mashed Potatoes 101!)

The key is in the technique here – your instincts matter a whole lot more than the ingredients list.Some general tips for success:

  • Work the potatoes as little as possible. Overmixed/overworked potatoes can get gummy and gluey, resulting in dense gnocchi, so fold things together as gently as possible.
  • When the dough has enough flour worked in, it should feel soft but not sticky and relatively light. If the dough starts to feel sticky as you’re rolling it out, dust it with a bit more flour.
  • Start with good mashed potatoes. If your leftover mashed potatoes are dense or gummy, your gnocchi will be, too. I find I prefer these gnocchi made with light and fluffy mashed potatoes (rather than thick, runnier potatoes). For tips on how to make the best mashed potatoes, start with Mashed Potatoes 101 and my Ultimate Mashed Potatoes recipe.

Leave out or reduce the egg if you like – the egg can make your gnocchi a little denser, so feel free to adjust if you’re worried about your gnocchi being too heavy. I like using a whole egg because it’s just easier (I hate having a leftover half-egg to deal with) but you can reduce the egg. Use just an egg yolk, or whisk an egg together and add just half to the gnocchi. You can leave the egg out entirely, but I find it’s a useful binding agent that helps the dough come together with less kneading. No egg also means you’ll need less flour, so keep an eye on your dough.

To form ridges on the gnocchi, roll the cut gnocchi pillows over a gnocchi board or down the tines of a fork. The ridges help the gnocchi collect plenty of sauce, and they give them a nice textured look. When I’m in a hurry, I don’t bother with this extra step (the gnocchi in these photos were just rolled out, cut, and boiled!)

Authentic Italian Gnocchi are exceptionally light and airy, usually made with riced potatoes. Because we’re starting with prepared mashed potatoes, these gnocchi may naturally be a bit heavier (although I find that with a bit of practice, these gnocchi are still quite light). If you’re looking for an authentic, just-like-Grandma-made Italian gnocchi recipe, try something like this. But if you just have some leftover mashed potatoes you want to repurpose, I think you’ll be more than happy with the ease and texture of this recipe.

To freeze these gnocchi, line a baking sheet with a nonstick baking mat (you could also use waxed paper) and lay gnocchi out in a single layer. Freeze for 2-3 hours, then throw the frozen gnocchi in an airtight container (I use my reusable Stasher Bag!) for up to 3 months. To cook, drop frozen gnocchi directly into boiling water and cook for 4-5 minutes until gnocchi float to the top of the water.

Keywords: leftovers, thanksgiving, holiday

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @lifeasastrawberry on Instagram

Photo of a white bowl filled with gnocchi with text that reads "make homemade gnocchi with leftover mashed potatoes!"
collage with four images depicting the steps to make potato gnocchi

I'm Jessie, and I like to talk about food. Tag your recipes #LifeAsAStrawberry on social media to share your creations!

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
The Ultimate Mashed Potatoes Recipe
How to Make a Cheese Plate (with step-by-step photos!)

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

  1. Heather says:
    December 28, 2020 at 7:49 PM

    Made these tonight using a gluten free flour blend. I think I may have ended up only using a half a cup of the flour. They turned out great! I’ve never made gnocchi before and it was a great way to use the leftover mashed potatoes. After I cooked them I tossed them with leftover ham and peas in an Alfredo sauce. Super easy. Thanks for the recipe!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Team Life As A Strawberry says:
      December 29, 2020 at 3:43 PM

      We’re SO happy to hear that you loved it!

      Reply
« Older Comments

 
Life As A StrawberryJoin my email list for subscriber-only
access to my FREE Resource Library!
 
CLICK HERE TO JOIN!
 




Let's Talk About Food.
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
 
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Privacy Policy

ABOUT US

  • Meet Our Team
  • Contact
  • FAQ
  • Work With Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

RESOURCES

  • Subscriber Resource Library
  • Meal Planning Resources
  • Sustainability Resources
  • Social Responsibility
  • At The Table Podcast

RECIPES

  • Recipe Index
  • Homemade Bread
  • Pasta Recipes
  • Vegan & Vegetarian
  • Pantry, Fridge, & Freezer Staples

JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST!

Copyright Ⓒ 2012-2021 · LIFE AS A STRAWBERRY