How To Make Mashed Potatoes

posted in Soups, Salads, Sides and Sauces, Vegetables and Beans,Vegetarian by Kathy Maister

Difficulty:

I was surprised to hear one of the trainers at my gym say that he prefers instant mashed potatoes from a box rather than the real thing! I thought to myself – he needs a few tips on how to make perfect (real) mashed potatoes!

At the grocery store, you will notice that there is an incredible variety of potatoes to choose from. There are usually signs above the potatoes that will tell you which ones are great for baking versus which ones are better for mashing. If there are no signs, just ask someone who works in the Produce section for some guidance.

To make 4-6 servings of mashed potatoes you will need approximately:

2 pounds of potatoes
½ to ¾ cup of milk
Salt and pepper (to your taste)
2-6 tablespoons of butter

You can make mashed potatoes in just a few easy steps.

Step 1: Wash the potatoes

Step 2: Peel the potatoes

Step 3: Cut the potatoes into 1 ½ inch chunks

Step 4: Put the potatoes in sauce pan and cover with water

(adding 1 teaspoon of salt to the water is optional)

Step 5: Bring to a boil. Turn down to simmer. Simmer 20 minutes

Step 6: Drain the potatoes

Step 7: Add milk, butter, salt and pepper

Step 8: Start mashing!

Keep mashing until the potatoes are creamy and lump free. You can garnish your mashed potatoes with some chopped parsley if you like.

Aaahhhh! Perfection

The Equipment you’ll need:

Sauce pan with a cover
Vegetable peeler
Knife
Potato masher
Timer
Colander (optional)

Tempted as you might be to try using a blender or a food processor to mash potatoes…DON’T! Believe me, years ago I tried that. You end up with a gluey, uneatable, awful mess. If you are mashing for a crowd, an electric hand mixer will work beautifully!

Here are just a few more ways to cook potatoes from startcooking.com:

Potatoes – Baked Potato with Salsa