Give Mashed Potatoes A Major Protein Boost With A Canned Staple From Your Cabinet

Mashed potatoes are an iconic side dish for many Americans and a staple at holiday dinners. Boxed or homemade, they're creamy, savory, and hearty, but not exactly known for being high in protein. If you have daily nutritional goals you want to meet, you might think that means mashed potatoes aren't a great option. And perhaps they aren't, at least by themselves. But you can combine them with a common canned staple that's rich in protein to create a meal that's easy to assemble and oh-so-comforting: tuna.

The tinned fish is such a convenient addition because it's shelf-stable and already cooked, so you don't have to worry about it reaching a certain temperature. It can also contain more than 30 grams of protein per can, depending on the variety and brand you use (for example, Bumble Bee Chunk Light has 23 grams, StarKist Solid White Albacore Tuna in Water has 26 grams, and Wild Planet's Premium Wild Albacore Tuna has 33 grams).

One of the easiest ways to incorporate tuna and mashed potatoes into the same dish is to make a casserole, where you prepare each separately, then layer the two ingredients and top with some cheese. You can use boxed or homemade mashed taters and mix the tuna with other ingredients to add flavor and texture.

If casseroles aren't your thing, no worries. You've got options, mainly in the form of fried patties. That's right, you can mix together your tuna and mashed potatoes, form them into round, puck-shaped discs, and pan-fry them in oil. This creates golden-brown patties that are as aesthetically appealing as they are delicious, and they're actually pretty fun to eat, too. You could also add an extra-crispy layer of panko all around the patties. Top them with your sauce of choice, like tzatziki with lemon juice for a Greek take, a sriracha and Kewpie mayo mix, or a drizzle of sweet chili sauce for an Asian-inspired twist (you might also incorporate green onions into your patties if you go this route).

Finally, you can change up the __ of your casserole or patties by using different types of tuna. Fishwife has a variety of flavors, like soy ginger and Spanish lemon, and if you have access to an Aldi, the German supermarket chain has also released its own Fishwife dupes, including two specialty varieties: olive oil with chili and olive oil with lemon. Better yet, there are tons of other brands of gourmet tinned fish out there. Just be sure to read the nutrition labels if you need a certain amount of protein per serving.