7 Ways With Baking Potatoes

Add earthy flavor and smooth texture to appetizers, sides, and rolls using plain russet potatoes. You've always loved them stuffed or baked, so expand your cookbook to include a few other delicious recipes using this favorite starch.

One of the most elegant party appetizers, these easy homemade potato pancakes are fried then topped with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of caviar. If caviar isn't in the budget, top them with crumbled cooked egg yolk, bacon, or diced bell pepper for an elegant update on loaded potato skins.

Recipe: Potato Blini With Sour Cream and Caviar

All the flavors of a loaded baked potato come together in a cozy light soup that will warm up any chilly night. Serve bowls of soup with a crusty peasant bread and a chopped vegetable salad to make a quick weeknight meal.

Recipe: Baked Potato Soup

Be the star of your next potluck or Sunday supper with this easy casserole that takes sliced baked potatoes to new flavor heights by adding lots of lemon, olive oil, oregano and feta. Call it "my big fat Greek casserole" and serve to friends and family alike for a Mediterranean-style au gratin dish.

Recipe: Greek-style Lemon Potatoes

Nothing pairs better with a homestyle dinner of meat loaf or pot roast than creamy mashed potatoes. Follow the recipe for a rich and smooth side, or leave a few of the potatoes with skins on them if you prefer more texture to your mashed spuds.

Recipe: Mashed potatoes

A perfect way to use leftover mashed potatoes, these crispy cakes are studded with bits of bacon, cheddar cheese and scallions. The coating is made with panko, or Japanese breadcrumbs, a common pantry staple found in many large supermarkets and local grocery chains.

Recipe: Crisp Mashed Potato Cakes

Not only do homemade potato chips taste better, but they're a lot easier to make than you think. Try a batch with sandwiches, burgers, or roasted meats. Just hand-cut slices of Russet or Yukon gold potatoes and cook in a large saucepan filled with a few inches of oil.

Recipe: Potato Chips

Mashed potatoes are the secret ingredient in this easy yeast dough that produces rolls with an unbelievably light texture. Shape and bake dough and then freeze rolls in small batches to use for dinner parties or to make supper sandwich dinner more special.

Recipe: Potato Rolls