Instant potato mix contains dehydrated potato flakes or powder, which you can use to make a variety of tasty dishes. Instead of simply reconstituting the dehydrated potato mix with butter and milk to make boring old mashed potatoes, use the flakes in other ways. From your main course to desserts and baked goods, those spuds can help you create several other types of dishes.

Rather than breading your chicken or fish with flour or breadcrumbs, use potato flakes. When deep fried, pan-fried or baked, the potato flakes will give your meats a crispy coating that has the flavor of French fries. Simply moisten the meat with milk, buttermilk or egg and dredge it through the dried potato mixture. Add some seasonings like salt or pepper for added flavor or skip them if your potato mix is already flavored. In casseroles or pot pies, make your mashed potatoes as directed and use them as a crust for your ingredients instead of crushed crackers, pastry dough or bread crumbs.

Substitute potato flakes or powder for 1/3 to 1/2 of the flour in your bread or dinner roll recipe. You can also make the mashed potatoes as directed and substitute them for fresh mashed potatoes in a potato bread recipe. The potato will give a rich flavor to the finished bread product and a spongy texture to the finished loaf. Use potato flakes in other baked goods, such as cakes, substituting out the flour as you would in your bread. Cakes made with potato flakes have a dense, soft texture and work well when combined with fruits and drizzled with syrup.

Instead of flour, you can use dried potato mix to thicken your soups or gravies, adding a bit of potato flavor to them. This works well with different types of chowders and creamy soups, including potato soup. Combined with evaporated milk or cream and meat or vegetable broth, the potato flakes create a thick and delicious soup base. Add some cheese, vegetables or poultry to make some yummy potato-based chowder. Unlike flour, the potato flakes are made to dissolve in water and will prevent lumps from forming in your soup. Include cubed, cooked potatoes in your soup to enhance the potato flavor if desired.

Use your potato flakes to make some quick and easy potato pancakes, without having to grate fresh potatoes. Combine the flakes with some flour, eggs, onions, seasonings and some freshly grate carrots, if desired. Fry the pancakes in a skillet until they are golden brown. Make some fresh pasta using the flakes and water to make the dough, along with flour and eggs. Use your potato-based dough to make fresh gnocchi, a type of small Italian dumpling, which you can boil until they float and serve with pesto or tomato sauce. For a quick pastry appetizer, make your mashed potatoes according to the directions and wrap them in pastry dough to create potato puff pastries.