I'm So Done With Mashed Potatoes. What's the Alternative?
These potato recipes are for everyone who's just not seduced by a bowl of potato purée. Sometimes, you just want a crispy potato, a potato with a bit more contrast or a bit more flavor. For those of you who just aren't wild about a silky mashed potato recipe, here are 27 of our favorite options.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich1/28Classic Potato Pancakes
These savory potato pancakes are fried in butter and oil for a crisp, golden brown crust. Serve with applesauce or sour cream at your next holiday gathering.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Astrid Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell2/28
Crispy Baby Yukon Gold Potatoes
These easy, crispy potatoes are ideal for a holiday meal. Tossing them with fresh thyme and nutmeg boosts their flavor (and makes your house smell amazing). Offer our horseradish-yogurt sauce on the side if you like!
- photo by Romulo Yanes3/28
Panfried Smashed Potatoes
Salty Parmesan seasons these crispy mashed potatoes. We love how tender and creamy they are on the inside. (And that there's no peeling required.)
- Photo by Alex Lau4/28
Salt-Roasted Potatoes
You'll start with two cups of kosher salt to make these cute little potatoes, but don't worry, you won't be eating it all. Instead, a layer of salt conducts heat along the bottom of the baking dish where these crisp roasted potatoes cook.
- Photo by Tara Donne, Food and Prop Styling by Diana Yen5/28
Our Favorite Latkes
We fried dozens of latkes—all the highest-rated versions on our site—to come up with our ultimate recipe. This latke recipe gives you potato pancakes with fluffy, pillowy-soft centers and crisp, golden brown edges. Better than Grandma ever made.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell6/28
Potato Tahdig
People usually know tahdig as the layer of crispy rice at the bottom of the pot; however, potato tahdig may get you even more fans.
- Photo by Peden + Munk7/28
Golden Potato Cake
This classic French preparation makes potatoes taste—and look—amazing. And yes, there's lots of butter involved.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Judy Haubert8/28
Potatoes au Gratin
You'll fan out potato slices in a buttered baking dish to make this classic potato gratin, then cover them in cream that's simmered with garlic. First you'll cook it all covered, then you'll top the dish with crème fraîche and cheese and return it to the oven to get brown and bubbly.
- Photo by Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich9/28
Burnished Potato Nuggets
Any cooking oil or rendered fat will work for making these supremely crunchy potatoes. Bonus: The fluffy insides are perfect for sopping up gravy.
- Christopher Baker10/28
Duck Fat-Potato Galette with Caraway and Sweet Onions
This rustic, savory galette gets delightfully crispy edges, thanks to a hot oven and a toss in a mix of duck fat, butter, salt, and pepper.
- Christina Holmes11/28
Skillet Hash Browns
Here's a recipe that justifies the existence of that food processor grating disk (you didn't throw it out, we hope). If you don't have one, a box grater will do.
- Photo by Christina Holmes12/28
Crispy Salt-and-Vinegar Potatoes
Cooking the potatoes in vinegar seasons them from within, and a final drizzle boosts the flavor.
- William Abranowicz13/28
Roasted Domino Potatoes
Tiling squares of potatoes in a baking dish with bay leaves between each slice gives you fragrant, flavorful potatoes with lovely crispy edges. This is one of our favorite potato recipes for special occasions.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell14/28
Potatoes With Roasted Poblano Chiles and Mexican Sour Cream (Papas con Rajas y Crema Ácida)
Roasted poblano chiles give this potato combo bold flavor, softened by a bit of crema and sweet sautéed onions. You could stuff it all into a taco, but we also like this dish as a side for roast meat.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell15/28
Crispy Spiced Potato Wedges
Steakhouse-style potato wedges get flavor and crunch from crushed and whole mustard seeds, garlic powder, and sweet paprika. They're boiled first, then soaked in buttermilk and dredged with spiced flour before frying. If you grew up eating Jo Jo potatoes (holla!), this potato recipe might make you nostalgic.
- Photo by Ed Anderson16/28
Fried Potato and Garlic Puffs
This recipe—made with potato, butter, garlic, eggs, and flour—is even greater than the sum of its parts.
- Photo by Alex Lau17/28
Perfectly Roasted Potatoes
You know what goes with pretty much everything? Crispy, creamy, perfectly roasted potatoes. The secret: Steam before you roast.
- Christina Holmes18/28
Mini Herbed Pommes Anna
The more carefully you arrange the potato slices, the prettier the results and the better the individual-size cakes will hold together.
- Photo by David Japy19/28
"Cold-Fry" Frites
In this method, potatoes and oil begin cooking together at room temperature, totally defying all the rules of deep-frying.
- Photo by Marcus Nilsson, Prop Styling by Amy Wilson, Food Styling by Frances Boswell20/28
Sheet-Pan Potato Hash with Fixins
These shingled sheet-pan taters are somewhere between french fries and potato chips (and heaven). Use russets to achieve a remarkably crispy-meets-creamy texture.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Nathaniel James, Food Styling by Anna Hampton21/28
Rosemary and Garlic Roasted Potatoes
These crispy potatoes are as tasty as they are good-looking. The key: a few sprigs of piney rosemary, plus four smashed garlic cloves. On to the sheet pan they go! It's an easy-peasy recipe that still gives you an impressive side dish.
- William Abranowicz22/28
Parmesan-Roasted Potatoes
Cooking the potatoes on a wire rack lets hot air circulate around them, so they get extra crisp.
- Photo by Christopher Baker23/28
Forked Oven-Roasted Potatoes
Crackling and textured on the outside and super-creamy inside, this three-ingredient recipe couldn't be simpler (or more delicious). Pair the potatoes with any roast for the perfect one-two combination.
- Photo by Shutterstock24/28
Boxty
This crispy potato pancake, enriched with cream and just a touch of flour, is beloved in Ireland. You can serve it as part of a full Irish breakfast, though it's also a great potato side for sopping up gravy or the juices from a big roast.
- Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich25/28
Twice-Baked Potatoes
These retro potatoes are still totally delicious. They're a hybrid of baked and mashed potatoes, giving you a crispy skin to pair with the creamy interior.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, prop styling by Brian Heiser, food styling by Rhoda Boone26/28
Crispy Potato-Leek Kugel
Creamy on the inside and crackly on the outside, this kugel is completely irresistible.
- Christopher Baker27/28
Rösti with Bacon and Scallions
To ensure that the grated potatoes bind together in this classic Swiss dish, squeeze as much liquid out of them as you can.
- Photo by Andrew Purcell, Prop Styling by Paige Hicks, Food Styling by Carrie Purcell28/28
Lemon-Roasted Potatoes
Halfway through making this roasted potato recipe, you'll toss the spuds in a dressing that's bright with lemon juice, lemon zest, and fresh dill. Then back in the oven they go.
Joe Sevier
Tiffany Hopkins
Anna Stockwell
Becky Hughes