Take Your Potato Game from Zero to Hero – Because Plain Potatoes Are So Last Year

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Bored of the same old mashed potatoes? It’s time to kick your spud game into high gear! Forget the basics and get ready for crispy Shoestring Fries that’ll disappear faster than you can say “seconds,” or indulge in Gruyere and Ham Potato Stacks—because who said potatoes can’t be fancy? If you’re feeling adventurous, try Loaded Mashed Potato Balls for a cheesy, crispy, bacon-filled surprise, or Smashed Potatoes Everything Bagel with Smoked Salmon—because breakfast deserves a makeover. From Grilled Sweet Potatoes to Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes, we’re about to breathe some serious life into your dinner routine. Ready to shake up your spuds? Let’s go!

Shoestring Fries

A bowl of golden, crispy shoestring fries garnished with fresh parsley. The fries are lightly seasoned and arranged in a heap, creating an appetizing display against the blue bowl.
Photo credit: The Cookie Rookie

Shoestring Fries are the ultimate sidekick in the world of fries. Thin, crispy, and totally customizable to your flavor cravings, these little potatoes are the perfect snack or accompaniment to any meal. You can’t go wrong with crispy perfection!
Get the Recipe: Shoestring Fries

Hearty Penna Dutch Potato Salad

A white bowl filled with creamy potato salad, lightly sprinkled with black pepper. The salad is garnished with lettuce and cherry tomato halves. The edge of a spoon is visible in the background.
Photo credit: The Cookie Rookie

Penna Dutch Potato Salad brings the perfect mix of creamy and crunchy in every bite. This Amish-inspired recipe, with its unique hot dressing, adds nostalgia to your potato salad game. It’s the side dish that always steals the show at any gathering!
Get the Recipe: Hearty Penna Dutch Potato Salad

Loaded Mashed Potato Balls

A close-up of a bread roll filled with creamy mashed potatoes, bacon bits, and melted cheese, garnished with chopped chives on a plate. One bite has been taken, revealing the filling.
Photo credit: Spend with Pennies

Loaded Mashed Potato Balls are the ultimate cheesy, melty bite-sized bundles of goodness. Packed with bacon, cheese, and a crispy crust, these little balls of heaven are the perfect way to enjoy mashed potatoes like never before!
Get the Recipe: Loaded Mashed Potato Balls

Roasted Greek Potato Wedges (Greek Fries)

A plate of golden-brown potato wedges seasoned with herbs, surrounding a small bowl of creamy white dip garnished with fresh dill. The wedges look crispy and appetizing.
Photo credit: Downshiftology

Roasted Greek Potato Wedges (or Greek Fries, if you’re feeling fancy) are the crispy, seasoned perfection that’ll have everyone reaching for more. Golden on the outside and soft on the inside, they never last long once they hit the table!
Get the Recipe: Roasted Greek Potato Wedges (Greek Fries)

Grilled Potatoes

A plate of grilled baby potatoes garnished with fresh chopped parsley. The potatoes are sliced, showing grill marks, and a blue-handled serving spoon is placed on the right side of the platter.
Photo credit: Love and Lemons

Grilled Potatoes are the perfect side dish that combines crispy char and bold flavor in every bite—whether you’re using an outdoor grill, an indoor grill, or a grill pan. Tossed in a mouthwatering seasoning, they deliver that ideal balance of crunch and tenderness year-round. Ready to fire up those taste buds, no matter the season?
Get the Recipe: Grilled Potatoes

Japanese Potato Salad

A bowl of creamy mashed potatoes topped with slices of cucumber and served with halved boiled eggs. The dish is garnished with small pieces of vegetables, adding a colorful touch. A spoon is placed beside the bowl on a napkin.
Photo credit: The Big Man’s World

Restaurant-Style Japanese Potato Salad is the creamy, crunchy, umami-packed delight that’ll have you coming back for seconds. Simple to whip up yet incredibly versatile, it’s the perfect side dish for just about anything—and it’s anything but boring!
Get the Recipe: Japanese Potato Salad

Smashed Potatoes Everything Bagel with Smoked Salmon

A baked potato topped with smoked salmon, cream cheese, sliced red onions, capers, and fresh dill. Another potato is partially visible in the background. The dish is presented on a white surface.
Photo credit: Downshiftology

Smashed Potato Everything Bagel is the crispy, creamy, breakfast dream you didn’t know you needed. Topped with classic lox flavors, it’s the perfect combo of savory and satisfying—basically everything you love about bagels, but better!
Get the Recipe: Smashed Potatoes Everything Bagel with Smoked Salmon

Grilled Sweet Potatoes

Slices of grilled sweet potato topped with chopped fresh herbs are arranged on a white plate, showcasing a delicious and colorful presentation.
Photo credit: The Big Man’s World

Grilled Sweet Potatoes are the side dish you’ll want to make on repeat—crispy on the outside, fluffy in the middle, and ready in under 20 minutes. Simple, quick, and packed with flavor, these sweet potatoes are a game-changer at any meal!
Get the Recipe: Grilled Sweet Potatoes

Breakfast Potatoes

A bowl of seasoned roasted potatoes, featuring golden and purple chunks, garnished with fresh herbs. A wooden spoon rests among the potatoes, highlighting the mix of textures and colors.
Photo credit: Feasting at Home

Easy Breakfast Potatoes are the crispy, garlicky, rosemary-packed perfection your brunch table needs. Roasted to golden goodness, these vegan-friendly potatoes are the ideal side for breakfast—or any meal, really!
Get the Recipe: Breakfast Potatoes

Sweet Potato Fries

A plate of crispy sweet potato fries seasoned with salt and pepper. A small bowl of ketchup is on the side for dipping.
Photo credit: Grandbaby Cakes

Garlic Butter Sweet Potato Fries are the crispy, perfectly-seasoned snack you never knew you needed. With a blend of warm spices, creamy butter, and fragrant garlic, these baked fries bring a whole new level of deliciousness to your plate. Get ready to munch!
Get the Recipe: Sweet Potato Fries

Garlic Herb Roasted Potatoes

A bowl filled with roasted potato wedges, seasoned with herbs and spices. The potatoes are golden brown and garnished with chopped parsley.
Photo credit: Downshiftology

Roasted Potatoes are the side dish that always gets it right—creamy on the inside, crispy on the outside, and coated in fragrant garlic and fresh herbs. Perfectly seasoned and utterly irresistible, they’re a must-have with any meal!
Get the Recipe: Garlic Herb Roasted Potatoes

Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes

A bowl of creamy mashed potatoes garnished with chopped chives and black pepper, with a blue spatula stirring through the mixture.
Photo credit: Feasting at Home

Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes are the shortcut to creamy, fluffy perfection in just 20 minutes. With only five ingredients and all made in one pot, these mashed potatoes are as easy as they are delicious. No fuss, just pure comfort!
Get the Recipe: Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes

Gruyere and Ham Potato Stacks

Close-up of baked potato swirls topped with melted cheese and garnished with fresh thyme sprigs on a white plate.
Photo credit: Carlsbad Cravings

Gruyere and Ham Potato Stacks are the cheesy, creamy layers of goodness that will have everyone asking for the recipe. If you can slice and layer, you can make this impressive side dish—no fancy skills required, just deliciousness!
Get the Recipe: Gruyere and Ham Potato Stacks

Rosemary Garlic Hasselback Potatoes

A white oval dish filled with sliced Hasselback potatoes, baked to a golden brown and garnished with sprigs of fresh rosemary.
Photo credit: Feasting at Home

Baked Hasselback Potatoes with Rosemary and Garlic are the healthy, vegan, gluten-free side dish your taste buds will thank you for. Packed with flavor and super easy to make, these crispy, garlicky beauties are perfect for any meal.
Get the Recipe: Rosemary Garlic Hasselback Potatoes

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About Jenny deRemer

I am a Charleston, South Carolina-based culinary novice, an ardent authority on all things travel, a designer by trade, and the creator of Not Entirely Average. I have a weakness for farmers' markets, delight in adventures way off the beaten path, enjoy documenting my many moods through photography, and have been known to conquer the occasional yard sale with gusto!

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