Roast or pan fry them for a delicious side dish.  Add them to your quick one-dish skillet dinners, stews or soups.  Try shredded potatoes as a crust on fish or as a burrito filling with chicken and salsa.

Cook and stir fully cooked beef tips with gravy, refrigerated pre-cubed potatoes, canned Italian-style stewed tomatoes and frozen green beans until vegetables are tender.

Prepare refrigerated pre-cubed potatoes as package directs, adding beaten eggs during last few minutes of cooking.  Spoon into tortillas and serve with sour cream and salsa, if desired, for a hand-held meal.

Keep them on hand for a quick dinner - just pop them in the oven and bake.  Frozen spuds are kid friendly and add fun to even the simplest of meals, such as hamburgers, sandwiches and grilled steak.  Serve as appetizers or snacks with dipping sauces or topped with cheese and salsa like nachos.  Also, many types of frozen potatoes can be used in casseroles.

Toss frozen French fries with taco or Cajun seasoning mix, prepared ranch dressing or grated Parmesan cheese.  Then bake according to package directions.

Use cooked, frozen hash brown potatoes or diced, cooked potatoes as a quesadilla filling along with shredded cheese, salsa and chopped green onions.

A "must" for every pantry, they are ready for those times when you need dinner in a hurry.  Instant mashed potatoes also can be used to make various kinds of potato cakes and pancakes, as a topping for shepherd's pie or to thicken soups or stews. Healthy and easy to fix, they make a terrific after-school snack.

Dress up prepared instant mashed potatoes by stirring in one of the following:  prepared horseradish, shredded cheddar cheese, mashed roasted garlic or pesto sauce.

Prepare instant mashed potatoes, stirring in country-style Dijon mustard when adding water.  Top with sautéed sliced fully cooked smoked sausage and bell peppers.

To cook them faster, cut them up first.  When making potato salad, cube the potatoes before boiling, rather than cooking them whole.  And don't bother to peel potatoes.  The skins add a rustic touch and extra nutrition, too.  When adding to skillet meals, partially microwave the potatoes before adding them to the pan.

For a meal-in-one, spoon prepared chili over split baked potato; top with cheese, chopped onions and sour cream, if desired.

To cut baking time, halve potatoes lengthwise, brush with olive oil, then bake until tender, cut-side down on a nonstick baking sheet in a 425° F oven.

Use a potato as a base for simple stir-fried vegetables.  Stir-fry cut-up zucchini, carrots, green or red bell pepper and broccoli.  Season with soy sauce; spoon over a split baked potato.

It's fun and easy to create your own pouch potato meals.  Start with the essential ingredient - one medium potato per serving.  There's no need to peel the potatoes, but do cut them into pieces uniform in size so that they cook evenly.

For each serving, include three to four ounces of uncooked lean ground beef, lamb or turkey, strips or cubes of chicken, turkey or ham or sliced smoked sausage.

Add you choice of diced or thinly sliced vegetables.  Experiment with fresh, frozen and canned vegetables.  The combination of potatoes, meat and vegetables should equal about 1 1/2 cups for each serving.

And now the fun part!  You can moisten the basic ingredients with prepared gravy and sauces.  Or mix in a little broth, or broth flavored with mustard, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.  Each family member's pouch can be flavored with his or her favorite herb.  The possibilities are endless - enough for unique pouch potatoes every night of the year!