Ricotta Mashed Potato Gnocchi

The countdown to Thanksgiving is officially on (T-minus one week!!) and I could not be more excited. Bring on the food, family time, and much needed R&R.

If your family is anything like mine, then chances are Thanksgiving day marks the beginning of what can only be described as a week-long marathon of leftovers, leftovers, and more leftovers. But, I don’t mind one bit. In fact, I often look forward to the leftovers even more than the actual dinner itself!

The one exception to the above statement? Mashed potatoes.

I want to like leftover mashed potatoes. Really, I do. But something about the texture and consistency makes it real tough (no pun intended). I’ve tried reheating them in the microwave, reheating them on the stove, reheating them in the oven, reheating them with milk, and reheating them with butter.. but alas, nothing seems to do the trick. Until now.

As it turns out, those sad leftover spuds make the perfect base for tender, pillowy mashed potato gnocchi.. who knew?!

This was my first time making homemade gnocchi and I have to admit, it was not nearly as difficult as I anticipated. Sure, it was relatively time consuming to roll and slice all of the pieces, but if you enlist a few helpers, you could potentially have dinner on the table in as little as 30 minutes.

Give new life to leftover mashed potatoes with this Ricotta Mashed Potato Gnocchi!

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And the beautiful thing about gnocchi (well, other than its tender, pillowy goodness) is that it is essentially a blank canvas.. so, how you choose to serve these Italian-style dumplings is entirely up to you. You can go the more traditional route and toss with red pasta sauce, or you can get creative and add your own flair. The gnocchi will soak up the flavors of whatever sauce you pair it with!

This time around, I kept things simple and tossed the gnocchi with some defrosted Rosemary Basil Pecan Pesto, sautéed kale, grape tomatoes, and freshly shaved Parmesan. But, something tells me this would be incredible with my Butternut Squash “Caulfredo” sauce or 15-minute Marinara, as well. Fortunately, this gnocchi freezes beautifully, so I have plenty left over to play around with in the coming weeks!

What are your favorite ways to use Thanksgiving leftovers??
Also, any tips for reheating mashed potatoes?! (But, seriously…)

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Ricotta Mashed Potato Gnocchi

Give new life to leftover mashed potatoes with Ricotta Mashed Potato Gnocchi! A fun and easy way to instantly transform sad, neglected leftover mashed potatoes into a delicious entree or side dish you'll actually want to eat!

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 40 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Servings 8 cups

Ingredients

• 2 cups mashed potatoes, room temperature
• 1 cup whole milk ricotta, room temperature
• 1/4 cup parmesan reggiano, shredded
• 2 egg yolks, room temperature
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 cup all-purpose flour

Instructions

• In a large bowl, add all ingredients except for the flour and whisk to combine. Stir in all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup at a time, to form a dough (you may need to slightly adjust the amount of flour that you use depending on how moist your mashed potatoes are).
• Divide dough into six sections. Using the palm of your hand, carefully roll each section into a 1/2" thick rope on a lightly floured surface, continuing to add more flour to your work surface as needed. Slice the dough into 1/2" thick pieces. Cook immediately or freeze.

To cook gnocchi:

• In a large pot, bring at least 4-6 quarts of salted water to a rapid boil. Working in batches, carefully add the gnocchi to the pot of boiling water. Cook, gently stirring occasionally, until the gnocchi swell and float at the top. Use a slotted spoon to carefully remove the gnocchi from the water and drain completely. Continue this process until all of the gnocchi have been cooked.
• Lightly coat a large nonstick skillet with olive oil and heat over medium-low heat. Add drained gnocchi to the skillet and gently stir until all sides are lightly golden brown. Toss the gnocchi with sauce of choice and serve immediately.

To freeze gnocchi:

• Freeze uncooked gnocchi immediately after it is shaped by placing the gnocchi in a single layer on a baking pan lined with parchment paper or wax paper. Freeze until solid, at least 2 hours. Transfer the frozen gnocchi to resealable freezer bags and store until ready to use.
• To cook frozen gnocchi, place the frozen gnocchi directly into a large pot filled with boiling salted water and cook according to the directions above.

Notes

Homemade gnocchi can be kind of finicky. For best results and texture, make sure all of your ingredients are room temperature and be careful not to over-mix the dough.

Italian seasoning and garlic powder may be substituted with other herbs or seasonings or left out altogether.

Recipe inspired by Fresh Thyme Farmer's Market