074 / 75 · Make the Most of What Is Left

Crisp Potato Waffles with Pea Mash

6 medium potato waffles, 2 per person, with one-third of the pea mash · Active 35 min · Total 1 hr 20 min

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Plain leftover mashed potato becomes crisp-edged waffles instead of another round patty. A little flour, milk and egg make a thick batter for an ordinary waffle iron, while warm pea-and-yogurt mash provides a soft contrast. The recipe makes six measured waffles for three complete plates, not an open-ended stack.

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Hand-drawn golden potato waffles with a rough green pea mash.

Start with plain, cold mashed potato

The stated weight is cooked potato mashed without added milk, butter or sauce. A loose creamy mash changes the batter, so it is not the starting point for this version. Break up any firm refrigerated lumps before mixing. Check when the potatoes were first cooked and use only a portion that was promptly chilled and has stayed within its original safe storage window.

Let your iron set the size

The batter weighs roughly eight hundred and fifty grams, divided into six portions of about one hundred and forty grams. A medium iron can usually take that quantity as a centered waffle, but plate shapes differ. Leave an outer border and close the lid without forcing it. If your iron is smaller, divide a portion between two smaller waffles rather than squeezing the full amount over the edges; the number and cooking time will change.

Do not lift the lid too soon

Potato batter is tender when first heated. Wait until the waffle has set and releases readily before opening the iron fully; pulling early can split it between the plates. A warm rack in a low oven keeps finished waffles from sitting in their own steam while later batches cook. Mash the peas only roughly and stir yogurt in off the heat. Put it beside the waffles at serving so some crisp ridges remain dry.

Ingredients

  • About 2 cups plain cooked mashed potato, cold, without added dairy or sauce (500 g)
  • 2 large eggs (100 g without shells)
  • 1/2 cup milk (120 ml)
  • 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (100 g)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder (6 g)
  • 2 tablespoons neutral oil (30 ml), divided equally between batter and brushing plates
  • 3/4 teaspoon fine salt (4.5 g), divided: 1/2 teaspoon/3 g for batter and 1/4 teaspoon/1.5 g for peas
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper (1 g)
  • 3 cups frozen peas (420 g)
  • 1/4 cup water for peas (60 ml)
  • 3/4 cup plain yogurt (180 g)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice (15 ml)

Set out

waffle iron with roughly 7-inch/18 cm plates, mixing bowl, fork or potato masher, kitchen scale or large spoon, pastry brush, small saucepan, wire rack and oven tray, food thermometer

Allergens

wheat, egg, milk. Check labels and substitutions.

Make it

  1. Check the original cooking date and cold storage of the mashed potato. Heat the waffle iron according to its instructions. Heat the oven to 200°F/95°C and put a rack over a tray inside to hold finished waffles. Break the cold potato up thoroughly in the mixing bowl.
  2. Beat eggs, milk and 15 ml oil into the potato. Mix flour, baking powder, 3 g salt and pepper separately, then stir them into the wet mixture just until evenly combined. Divide the thick batter into 6 portions, about 140 g each.
  3. Use some of the measured remaining 15 ml oil to brush the hot plates as permitted by the iron’s instructions. Add one batter portion in the center, leaving space around the edges. Close and cook for about 6–8 minutes, or until golden, releasing readily and 165°F/74°C at the thickest center. Adjust to your iron rather than lifting repeatedly.
  4. Transfer to the warm rack and repeat with remaining batter, using the rest of the plate-brushing oil across the batches. If the iron is too small for 140 g, split that portion into two smaller waffles and allow additional cooking time. Do not overflow the plates.
  5. During the later batches, cook peas with their 60 ml water in a covered saucepan for 5–6 minutes until cooked through. Drain excess water, roughly mash and remove from heat. Stir in yogurt, lemon juice and the remaining 1.5 g salt.
  6. Serve 2 medium waffles and one-third of the warm pea mash per person. If smaller waffles were necessary, divide the complete cooked batch equally between the 3 plates.

Use equipment already owned

This is useful for a household that already has a waffle iron. It does not require buying a new appliance to save a small portion of potatoes.

Ingredient labels

The batter uses wheat flour, egg and milk, and the pea mash contains yogurt. Check baking powder labels for additional allergens.

A useful detail

Six sequential waffle-iron batches are included. Plate size, power and release behavior vary, so watch the set texture and check the center rather than relying on one universal timer.

Another way

  • Use 500 g plain freshly boiled potatoes, drained, mashed and cooled promptly, instead of leftovers. Add their preparation time.
  • Use 420 g frozen broad beans, cooked by the packet and roughly mashed, instead of peas. The flavor and texture change.

Keep it well

Refrigerate saved waffles and pea mash separately in shallow containers within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F/32°C, at 40°F/4°C or below. Use no later than 3 days after the potatoes were first cooked, keeping any earlier ingredient deadline. Reheat a portion to 165°F/74°C throughout; an oven helps restore the edges better than leaving waffles stacked in a covered pan.