How to Turn Your Picnic's Potato Salad Into a Week of Meals

For the sake of making potato salad a little more commute-friendly, skip the mayonnaise and head to this vinegary, mustardy roasted-potato salad. It surprises with walnuts and basil—and just so happens to bend and flex to support a week of meals.

Make a big batch—or two—of this potato salad over the weekend. Here are just some of the ways it can get you halfway to a meal all week long:

• Shortcut Pierogis: Fill pierogi dough with mashed up potato salad. It's seasoned enough that you needn't add anything else to the filling.

• Mashed Potatoes Cakes: Add a little cream or milk and smash the potatoes to make chunky mashed potatoes. Form the potatoes into a patty, then dip in an egg wash and panko breadcrumbs. Fry on each side in hot oil until golden.

• Seafood Salad: Go to your local fishmonger and stick whatever's freshest into the potato salad. Maybe octopus, seared scallops, salmon, or a white flaky fish. All that's needed is a squeeze of fresh lemon.

• Soft Boiled Egg on Top: Make a quick lunch by topping the potato salad with a soft-boiled egg. Drizzle with olive oil and add a pinch of salt.

• Avocado Potato Salad: Transform this potato salad by adding a smashed avocado to a extra layer of creaminess. You can keep it vegan, or add a little chopped slices of bacon.

• Warm Chicken Salad: Roast a chicken, then shred it and toss with warmed potato salad and leafy greens. You can even out the whole thing between two crusty slices of bread to make a chicken salad sandwich.

• Hash: Since you already roasted that chicken, make a chicken-potato hash with warming spices and eggs on top.

• Potato and Green Chile Stew: Make step one of Deborah Madison's stew, but for a shortcut, throw in potato salad instead of cooking new taters. The only things left to do is dollop with sour cream and sprinkle with cilantro.

How else can potatoes save the day? Let us know in the comments below!