Do you ever come home with leftover French fries after an outing to your favorite fast food restaurant?

If you have, and you’ve tried to revive them in the microwave or toaster oven, you know that the outcome is usually dismal. I actually dread them. They usually take up precious space in my little fridge until my hubby decides to try to reheat them. Then they return to the fridge after he tries one or two.

With this introduction, you might think this article is about how to resurrect those leftover fries. But nope, there are actually tastier uses for these little orphans.

First of all, they’re a perfect soup thickener. When blended in, they create a creamy, smooth, flavorful soup. Potatoes release starch as they cook — thickening the broth with a satisfying velvety consistency. (And note: hash browns and mashed potatoes make good soup thickeners as well.)

Because fries are already cooked, you can add them once your soup is almost done and ready to be blended. Add them just a minute or two before turning off the heat so your soup stays piping hot.

You can use a handheld immersion blender to purée your soup, or transfer the soup to a traditional blender, working in batches if you have to.

There are a couple things to consider when thickening soup with fries. The first is the salt level. Most restaurant fries are highly salted. If you're planning on adding French fries to a homemade soup, consider dialing down the amount of salt you use to season it. The second issue is the need to avoid battered fries. They’re not fit for thickening because the dredging batter may not purée well. Also, fries that’ve been battered with wheat flour are not gluten free, which matters if you are cooking for someone with a gluten sensitivity.

Leftover fries can also be a perfect base for a layered casserole, if you have enough. Line the bottom of an 8x8 baking dish with them and pour a can of chili over it all. Top the chili with diced green pepper and shredded cheese. Heat through at 350 degrees for about 20 to 25 minutes and serve with dollops of sour cream.

They also work well into a breakfast skillet. Dice ‘em up, along with some red bell pepper and onion. Then mix these diced veggies into some stirred eggs and pour everything into a well-greased skillet. This is also good with cooked and crumbled bacon, cooked sausage crumbles, or diced cooked ham. Cover the mixture with a layer of shredded cheese and chopped fresh parsley; bake in a 350 degree oven for about 25 minutes.

Don’t these suggestions sound delicious? Almost makes you hope for some leftover French fries, right?