Best spuds: 15 potato recipes that are more than just a side dish

The Kitchn, that venerable source of delicious recipes, kicks us off with delicious potato dumplings filled with sauerkraut and sharp cheddar. Six or seven of these luscious pockets of happiness are a perfect main course for even the heartiest of appetites. Follow along with the recipe here.

Nothing says "fall" like pumpkin pie, though potatoes are the star of this delicious, hearty and savory meal. A hit of thyme and the subtle sweetness of corn and fresh pumpkin meat meld together beautifully with buttery potatoes to create a delicious vegetarian main dish that sticks to the ribs. The full recipe can be found at allrecipes.com.

Sure, this recipe contains hamburger and onions, but lovers of this hot dish know that the real star of this Midwestern casserole is the spud. Layering creamy soup bases over tater tots, meats and onions creates a luscious main course that is beloved by kids and adults alike. The full recipe can be found here.

The potato is almost unmatched in versatility; it is equally at home in rustic, homey recipes as it is in fancier, more composed ones. For those of you who want a classier take on a potato cake, try this recipe that blends the flavors of smoked salmon with an herb creme fraiche that makes the strong flavors pop even more. The full recipe for these moist, fluffy cakes can be found here.

Potatoes make everything better. As proof, try making this take on a classic sausage and peppers dish that includes sweet potatoes as a base to soak up all of the delicious flavors from the other ingredients. As an added bonus, this dish can be scaled easily and cooks, from start to finish, in just about 45 minutes. Follow along with the full recipe here.

Gnocchi, that delicious, toothsome, potato-based dumpling that takes so well to sauces, cheeses and flavorings, is actually not that hard to make at home. This recipe pairs homemade gnocchi with a medley of fresh green vegetables for a healthy, flavorful main course. Follow along with the full recipe here.

In Colombia, this dish is called ajiaco, a hearty and filling soup that is traditionally prepared in a clay pot. This preparation of the dish features chicken breasts, corn on the cob, long green onions and, of course, a medley of different types of potatoes to give the soup some body. The additions of capers, cilantro, avocado and crema at the end tie all the flavors together wonderfully. Step-by-step instructions for making this soup can be found here.

Sure, the recipe title might focus on the broccoli, but the potatoes are the real star of this roasted dish. This meal in particular calls for smaller fingerlings so they can roast evenly at the same time as the broccoli. After they've been roasted, everything is tossed in a delicious egg-based dressing, creating a meal that is hearty and packed with protein and vitamins. The full recipe can be found here, complete with step-by-step instructions.

Don't be intimidated by the name; the term kuku is simply a Persian term for a dish in the frittata family. This dish adds moisture and flavor by using yogurt, zucchini and a tiny pinch of saffron to flavor the base of potatoes and eggs. Follow along with the full recipe here.

Potatoes are an integral part of most curry dishes, especially the creamy, meaty massaman type. This preparation of massaman curry calls for chicken chunks and kale to max out the health benefits and make sure that this dish is not just a filling and delicious one, but a relatively healthy one as well, clocking in at just under 500 calories per portion. The full recipe can be found here.

Few things go together better than sweet potato and beef, and in this case, a thick layer of delicious sweet potato is the star of the show, encasing a mixture of beef, vegetables, fruits and cheeses. With a main course this hearty, you won't even need a side dish. Follow along with the step-by-step instructions to make this cottage pie here.

Served alongside a perfectly poached egg, there are fewer breakfast options more satisfying than a plate piled high with sautéed potatoes and corned beef. To save time, this recipe calls for canned corned beef but uses fresh potatoes and onions to elevate the flavor of the hash itself. Again, the name of the dish might be "corned beef" hash, but after tasting the crisp potatoes that have soaked up all of the flavors of the corn, beef and onion, you'll realize that the potato carries the dish to new heights. The full recipe is here.

In terms of effort-to-reward ratio, there are fewer foods more perfect than tacos. This preparation elevates the potato via a quick sauté with chorizo and onion. For a sweeter, more breakfast-ready version of the taco, consider using sweet potatoes instead of boiling potatoes! The full recipe has step-by-step instructions you can follow here.

This handheld breakfast-in-a-cup recipe comes courtesy of Lucky Peach, who endeavored to re-create a Georgia cafeteria classic in a new way. By frying thick-cut pieces of bologna into cups, you can create the perfect vessel for a heaping helping of hash browns, a poached egg and salsa verde. As you eat, the salsa and egg yolk will seep into the hash browns, making them even more flavorful than before. Recipe can be found here.

This recipe is really 50 recipes in one. The Food Network website has a series of 50 ways to prepare a stuffed potato with toppings ranging from mushroom and onion to pizza fillings to creamed spinach. Each preparation is relatively easy, though we wouldn't recommend eating them all at once. That might be overkill. The full list of recipes can be found here.