Potato Dinner Rolls

Potato Dinner Rolls are soft, light, and fluffy. These quick and easy dinner rolls are loaded with leftover mashed potatoes along with a handful of simple pantry staples that you likely already have at home.

These homemade dinner rolls with potato can easily be made in an afternoon or prepared ahead for a special meal (with easy step-by-step instructions). They're delicious and pillowy and pair well with all kinds of soups, salads, and entrees - or can become and entree themselves if you incorporate them into sliders.

Why You'll Love These Potato Dinner Rolls

• Loaded with real potatoes. Homemade dinner rolls are always a hit, and these dinner rolls with potato are guaranteed to delight diners of all ages. The not-so-secret ingredient, mashed potatoes, adds even better texture and flavor to these versatile rolls.
• They're extra soft. These potato dinner roll have the best texture thanks to mashed potatoes. By adding mashed potatoes to this dinner roll recipe, it gives them an even more supple, fluffier texture.
• Perfect for casual weeknight dinners and big holiday parties. These rolls are fast and easy enough to make for a weeknight dinner, but fluffy and delicious enough to serve at bigger events like holiday potlucks or dinner parties.
• Great for using leftover mashed potatoes. This potato bread will be your new go-to for using up leftover mashed potatoes! Using leftovers cuts back on the amount of prep and clears some space in your fridge - taking care of two birds with one stone. Some of my other favorite leftover mashed potato recipes include: Mashed Potato Soup, Mashed Potato Cakes, Mashed Potato Balls, and Homemade Potato and Cheese Perogies.

Ingredient Notes

To make these easy Potato Dinner Rolls, you will need the following ingredients (full measurements in recipe card below):

• milk - if you or someone in your family is lactose intolerant or sensitive to dairy, you can use unflavored coconut milk, almond milk, or another dairy-free milk substitute in place of the milk in these rolls. Coconut milk tends to work well with baked goods because of its high fat content.
• sugar - honey would also work well in this dinner roll recipe!
• active dry yeast - active dry yeast will yield the best, most consistent bread result every time-but things happen and we all run out every once in a while. A 1:1 measurement of baking powder should help the rolls rise and give a similar effect. Active sourdough starter would also work, but you'll have to change the quantities a bit. The rule of thumb is one cup of starter per standard 7g package of active yeast, or per two teaspoons of active dry yeast if you're using the jar kind.
• eggs 
• melted butter - olive oil would be a fine substitute for butter in these rolls.
• all-purpose flour - you can make gluten free mashed potato rolls by swapping the wheat flour with a measure-for-measure gluten free flour.
• mashed potatoes - Yukon or russet potatoes are the best potatoes for mashing, and therefore, the best kind of mashed potatoes for this recipe, but you can use whatever kind of potato or mashed potato you have on hand, including instant.
• salt

You will also need measuring cups and spoons (or a kitchen scale), mixing bowl, bench sraper, and a 9x13-inch casserole pan.

How to Make the Best Potato Dinner Rolls

1. Make the dough. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk to combine milk, sugar, yeast, eggs, and butter until smooth. Set aside for 5 minutes until bubbles form on top. In a large mixing bowl, stir together flour, mashed potatoes, and salt until evenly combined. Slowly pour the wet mixture into the flour mixture. Mix well until it forms a shaggy dough, scraping down the sides of the bowl (there should be no dry flour particles visible).
2. Knead the dough. Knead the dough for 8-10 minutes until a smooth and soft dough ball is formed. You can also knead the dough on medium speed in a stand mixer for 8-10 minutes until smooth dough ball is formed. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. You can lightly oil the dough ball to prevent sticking.

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How to Shape Dinner Rolls

1. Roll the dough into a log and use a bench scraper to divide it into 15 equal pieces. Cover the dough with a damp cloth or plastic cling wrap to prevent it from drying.
2. Take one piece at a time and shape each piece into a smooth ball. Use the palms of your hands to flatten each dough, then fold and press all edges into the centre.
3. Turn it over and cup the dough in the palm of your hand, making circular motions until you create a ball. It should take less than 30 seconds to roll each piece into a smooth ball.

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4. Arrange the dough balls into a 9x13-inch casserole pan, spacing them evenly into 5 rows and 3 columns.
5. Cover the pan loosely with plastic cling wrap and let the rolls rise until almost doubled in size, about 45 minutes.

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Baking Potato Dinner Rolls

Bake the potato dinner rolls in a 350F preheated oven for 22-25 minutes until golden brown.

Brush the top with some melted butter (if desired) and let the rolls cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before serving.

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How to Serve

Potato Dinner Rolls are delicious served on its own with butter as a starter to dinner, as a snack, or with meat and cheese inside like in these Turkey and Cheese Sliders. They are also great served on the side of dinner. Some of my favorite dinner entrees to serve the on the side of are:

• Vegetarian Bolognese
• Ground Turkey Soup
• Creamy Pesto Chicken
• Hamburger Soup with Macaroni (Goulash Soup)
• Creamy Tuscan Shrimp
• Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Storage and Freezing Instructions

How to Store

Wrap leftover dinner rolls tightly with plastic cling wrap or place in a large sealed plastic bag and store at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can extend the shelf life to a week if stored in the fridge. But note that the fridge will dry them out a bit.

How to Freeze

To freeze, let the potato rolls cool completely, then store them in an airtight container, freezer bag, or wrap them tightly in plastic cling wrap and place in the freezer for up to 2-3 months. When ready to serve, thaw at room temperature for several hours and reheat in the microwave on high power for 60 seconds.

More Dinner Roll Recipes

• 50 Best Bread Recipes
• Green Onion Dinner Rolls
• Cheesy Garlic Dinner Rolls
• Pumpkin Dinner Rolls
• Ciabatta Rolls
• Garlic Knots
• Skillet Dinner Rolls

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