6 Easy Ways to Use Dehydrated Potatoes
September 21, 2025 by Linda Loosli 41  Comments ,

6 Easy Ways to Use Dehydrated Potatoes

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Dehydrated potatoes are a versatile and convenient ingredient to keep on hand. They can be used in soups, stews, casseroles, and sauces, or reconstituted with water and used as mashed or roasted potatoes. Dehydrated potatoes can also be used as a thickener for gravies and soups, or as a great side dish. And for those who like their potatoes crispy, dehydrated potatoes can be fried up in a pan for a tasty treat.

6 Easy Ways to Use Dehydrated Potatoes

How to use Dehydrated Potatoes

I’ve used dehydrated potatoes over the years to cook several different types of delicious meals in my home. Here are some of my favorite ways to use dehydrated potatoes:

1. Hash Browns

One of the most popular ways to use dehydrated potatoes is to make hash browns. Rehydrate the potatoes in water, then squeeze out the excess moisture and mix with some shredded cheese, chopped onions, and salt and pepper to taste. Fry in a hot pan until browned and crispy. The Best Cheesy Potato Casserole

2. Soups and Stews

Dehydrated potatoes are a great way to add some extra potato-y deliciousness to your soups and stews. They reabsorb water as they cook, so they can help thicken up your soup or stew while also adding some extra flavor.

Plus, they’re a great way to get some extra veggies into your meal. Add a handful of dehydrated potatoes to your soup or stew along with some water and let them cook until they’re soft. You can find dehydrated potatoes at most grocery stores, and they’re usually pretty affordable. So, the next time you’re making soup or stew, consider adding some dehydrated potatoes to the mix! 4-Ingredient Potato Soup Recipe

3. Casseroles

Dehydrated potatoes can also be used in casseroles. Rehydrate the potatoes in water, then mix with the other casserole ingredients and bake as directed.

Dehydrated potatoes are a great way to add some extra nutrition to your casseroles. By rehydrating them in water, you can add potassium, fiber, and vitamins A and C to your meal. And best of all, they’re super easy to use! Just add the desired amount of water to the potatoes and let them sit for about 15 minutes. Then, drain the water and add the potatoes to your casserole.

You’ll never even know they were dehydrated! So next time you’re looking for a way to make your casserole a little healthier, reach for the dehydrated potatoes. They’ll give you the nutrition you need without sacrificing taste or texture. Taco Casserole Recipe

4. Sauces

Dehydrated potatoes can also be used to thicken sauces. Add the desired amount of potatoes to the sauce and cook until tender. Dehydrated potatoes are a great way to add some extra nutrition and thickness to your sauces without having to use fresh potatoes. Add the potato flakes to your sauce while it is simmering, and let it cook until the flakes are rehydrated.

This process will also help thicken the sauce, making it a great way to stretch a small amount of sauce into a larger serving. Dehydrated potatoes can be found in most grocery stores, and they are a great pantry staple to have on hand when you need a quick fix for your sauce. 10 Quick And Easy Sauce Recipes

5. Quiches

One of my favorite kitchen hacks is using dehydrated potatoes in quiches or as a side dish with quiches. I always have a few packets of dehydrated potatoes in my pantry for camping trips, but they come in handy for so much more than that! When I’m short on time, I’ll add a few tablespoons of the dehydrated potatoes to my quiche batter.

The water in the batter helps the potatoes rehydrate as the quiche cooks, resulting in a perfectly fluffy and moist crust. Plus, it adds a little extra flavor and nutrients. If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to elevate your quiche game, give this trick a try. I guarantee you’ll be hooked! Ham and Cheese Crustless Quiche

6. Fried Potatoes

Fried potatoes are one of my all-time favorite comfort foods. They’re easy to make, endlessly versatile, and just plain delicious. One of the keys to making great fried potatoes is to start with the right potato variety. For me, that means using a starchy potato, like a Russet or Yukon Gold. But what if you don’t have fresh potatoes on hand? You can use dehydrated potatoes instead!

To start, you’ll need to rehydrate the potatoes by soaking them in water for about 30 minutes. Once they’re hydrated, you can cook them in the same way you would cook fresh potatoes. The key is to make sure they’re hydrated before adding them to the fryer. Otherwise, they’ll absorb too much oil and end up greasy. Potatoes: Everything You Need to Know

Where do you buy dehydrated potatoes?

I buy mine from Amazon. I like Augason Farm’s brand, but there are plenty of other brands out there. Just make sure you get the kind intended for rehydration. Augason Farms Dehydrated Potatoes

Do you have to soak dehydrated potatoes before frying?

Yes, you need to soak them in water for at least 30 minutes before frying. This will help them rehydrate and cook evenly.

When were dehydrated potatoes invented?

Dehydrated potatoes were invented in the early 1800s as a way to preserve potatoes for long-term storage. The process involves removing the water from fresh potatoes and then drying them. This can be done either by air-drying or using a dehydrator.

How do you store dehydrated potatoes?

Dehydrated potatoes should be stored in a cool, dry place. I like to keep mine in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid after opening the #10 can. They’ll last for several months this way. Here are some “how-tos” when dehydrating other fruits and veggies. Give them a try, you’ll be pleased you did:

Final Word

Dehydrated potatoes are a great way to add variety to your diet while getting all the benefits of this humble vegetable. Unlike fresh potatoes, which can spoil quickly, dehydrated potatoes have a long shelf life and can be stored for months. The next time you’re looking for a new way to enjoy potatoes, give dehydrated potatoes a try! May God bless this world, Linda

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41 Comments

  1. We have instant mashed potatoes. Not freeze dried. I use them a lot. If/When I make mashed potatoes, I add more butter, and less milk. They’re much better.

    Reply

  3. Linda, these are great ideas! A few I hadn’t thought of. Thank you!
    We like to store the dried potato slices too.

    Scalloped Potatoes
    3 c. dehydrated potato slices (heaping cupfuls, gently packed down)
    2 to 4 T. dried chopped onions
    1/2 c. nonfat dry milk
    2 T. unbleached flour
    2 T. cornstarch
    1/4 tsp. salt and pepper
    1 T. dried parsley or chives
    3 T. butter or margarine
    2 and 3/4 c. boiling water

    Preheat oven to 350°.
    Place potato slices and dried onions into 9×13 greased or buttered glass pan.
    Mix dry milk, flour, cornstarch, salt, pepper, parsley or chives; sprinkle over top
    of potato/onion. Dot with butter. Pour boiling water over all and stir gently to mix. Cover with foil, bake 35 minutes, uncover, let cook until top is golden.

    Reply

  4. Does anyone have a recipe for Au Gratin potatoes using dehydrated cheese and other dehydrated ingredients ? I was thinking that could powder my dehydrated cheese like the cheese that comes in package from Betty Crocker, but not sure about the wet ingredients .

    Reply

    1. Hi Ramona, great question. I have freeze-dried cheese and I just have to hydrate it with cool water and trade it out for fresh grated/shredded cheese. I have never used dehydrated cheese, let’s see what others have to share. I have all of the ingredients to make “cheesy potatoes” with freeze-dried ingredients and dehydrated shredded potatoes. Linda

      Reply

  5. I usually add pickle juice to my deviled eggs. One time, I added too much and thought I had ruined them. What to do??? The instant potato flakes were handy, so I added some to thicken the soupy yolks. Now, I intentionally plan on this because I always have plenty of yolks to generously stuff the whites.

    Reply

    1. Hi Marilyn, oh my gosh, what a great idea! It seems I never have enough yolk mixture!! I love this! I need to try the pickle juice, great idea! Linda

      Reply

  6. I dehydrate my own potatoes. I peel them, slice them, cook them, then finally put them in a dehydrator. It takes a while but I do it on rainy days in the fall, when I am dying for a project. I then use them in casseroles or anywhere else I would use sliced potatoes. Less expensive than the boxed scalloped potatoes.

    Reply

    1. Hi Chris, yes, Instant Potatoes are dehydrated and run through a mill or whatever they call it to make them powdered or flakes. Instant Potatoes in small packages have a very short shelf-life. (approx. six months) I still buy the packages, I just picked up 40 packages because they were on sale. If you buy them in a #10 can they typically will last about ten years (check with the manufacturer). I buy Dehydrated Slices or Shreds in #10 cans so they will last 25 years, of course, they must be stored in a cool dark place. Linda

      Reply

  8. I use Hungry Jack potato flakes (instant mashed potatoes) or any similar brand to use as a crispy fried fish/porkchop/chicken coating, half flour/ half potato flakes tortillas, make potato bread, shepherd’s pie, potato bread rolls, gnocchi, to use less flour for biscuits use a bit of potato flakes, use if a recipe calls to use panko bread crumbs by using half the amount panko and the other half potato flakes, meatloaf, and fried potato cakes/tater tots. I find both potato flakes and dried potato shreds/hashbrowns to be very versatile. I have in the past run out of potato flakes and in a pinch took the dried potato shreds and pulsed the in the food processor to have the potato flakes I needed. Both are very versatile pantry staples that I always make sure I have. Using potato flakes helps me my flour last much longer.

    Reply

    1. Hi Ravenna, oh my gosh, this is a game changer!! Why didn’t I think of that? I love these tips!!!! Thank you so much for sharing your ideas!!! One reader mentioned a few months back about using instant potatoes to thicken up a soup or stew. Marvelous!! Now, you have given us so many more ideas!!! Linda

      Reply

  9. You’re welcome! In full disclosure, I learned a good bit of these tips from when I worked as a waitress in college. The cooks there taught me how to cook restaurant-quality mashed potatoes and a few hacks if you will.

    Reply

    1. Hi Ravenna, oh those were great tips you learned!! I love hearing this!! It’s the little things that help us the most. Thank goodness they shared their wisdom!! Love it! Linda

      Reply

      1. You’re Welcome! I used to use 50% cornmeal and 50% flour as my coating for chicken or fish (bc I’m from GA and that is how we roll 😉 ) but after what I learned from the restaurant cooks – now for extra crispy and crunchy coating like KFC’s extra crispy coating I use 1/3 cornmeal, 1/3 flour, and 1/3 potato flakes fried in leaf lard or tallow. I tell you it is a game changer everyone will rave about how good it is.

        Reply

  11. Hi,
    Thanks for great new ideas. I get mine from Bob’s Redmill via Amazon. We can’t keep potatoes very long in our climate. Sub tropics. No basements. The dehydrated ones are fantastic. I mostly made mashed potatoes, but now I have a few more ways to use them. As always – a useful post!

    Reply

  12. I always have dehydrated potatoes on hand! I have dehydrated hash browns – started keeping them when I was camping all the time; sliced potatoes that I dehydrate myself; and instant mashed potatoes when I find them on sale.
    I was gifted 40 pounds of potatoes early in 2020 just after the covid lockdowns in WA state. I am single and live alone. 40 pounds is a LOT of potatoes for one person!! I could have given them away but the people I got them from had something like 40 or 50 ton of potatoes they were giving away, so I didn’t feel the need to give mine away. I decided to dehydrate mine (or the bulk of them).
    My technique is generally to slice them, blanche them (almost to the point of cooked), cool in ice water, pat dry and dehydrate until they snap.
    I did try another technique I read about and that was to fully cook the whole potatoes, then slice and dehydrate. I found that they became too mushy when rehydrated though – fell apart when I rehydrated and tried to fry them. I ended up powdering them and making my own instant mashed potatoes and that worked OK.
    Dehydrating potatoes is a lot of work but so satisfying!!

    Reply

  13. Au Gratin Potatoes
    3 Cups dehydrated potato slices
    1/2 Cup powdered milk
    2 Tablespoons flour
    2 Tablespoons corn starch
    1 Tablespoon mushroom powder (optional – he dehydrates his own mushrooms and powders them)
    2 Tablespoons onion flakes
    1 Tablespoon chives
    1 Tablespoon parsley
    1/2 Teaspoon granulated garlic
    1/8 Teaspoon ground black pepper
    1/4 Teaspoon thyme
    3 Tablespoons cheddar cheese powder
    3 Tablespoons butter
    3 Cups boiling water

    Pre-heat oven to 350ºF
    Grease or spray an 8×8 casserole dish
    Mix all BUT potatoes, butter, and water together in a bowl.
    Spread potato slices evenly in the bottom of the casserole dish.
    Sprinkle dry ingredients evenly over the top of the potato slices.
    Dot the butter over the top.
    Pour boiling water over the top.
    Gently mix until powder is thoroughly incorporated.
    Bake at 350ºF for about 45 minutes. Top should just begin to be turning brown.
    (NOTE: I generally melt the butter in the boiling water and whisk in the powdered ingredients then pour over the potatoes)

    Reply

  15. Instant mashed potatoes are handy for making some kinds of dumpling dough. One of our family traditions is German plum dumplings with the first picked plums of the season and that dough has mashed potato in it. The dumplings themselves are fairly labour intensive so having instant mashed potato helps things along.

    Reply

    1. Hi Alice, oh I love Instant Mashed potatoes! I stock them all the time. I got tired of throwing out bad potatoes that were passed “their” expiration rotten age! LOL! Linda

      Reply

    2. Alice – My husband’s grandmothers were both of Czech ancestry. I learned to make potato dumplings from them. They both had slightly different techniques though. And the dumplings were WAY different from what my mother made. Basically, they used left over mashed potatoes and added flour to make a stiff dough. They then rolled the dough into 3 1/2 inch to 4 inch logs about the diameter of a 50 cent piece. They boiled them until they floated. For the side dish for a meal, the dumplings were served with sauerkraut or fried cabbage and gravy. For a dessert, they were served with pie filling and cream or whipped cream.

      I haven’t tried making dumplings with instant mashed potatoes though.

      Reply

  17. Amazon has the shredded potatoes for $8.11 a can right now. A very good deal with Prime free shipping! If I don’t open them, they will be good until 2049. Maybe I will put them in my will.

    Reply

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