Mashed Potatoes Recipe

This mashed potatoes recipe is simple to make, and very tasty to eat. With such basic essentials as russet and yukon potatoes, cloud-like texture forming additions of butter and cream, and adventurous ways to kick it up a notch or two like parsnips, roasted garlic and even wasabi powder, this mashed potatoes recipe has it all.

Make a quick batch of mashed potatoes at your next dinner party, at this years Thanksgiving and Christmas meals, or just as a side dish to you regular weeknight dinner.

Step 1: Ingredients

I suggest about 1 potato per serving, depending on size. I made 6 servings, therefore I used:

• 6 potatoes of three different varieties - yukon, red, and russet.

_{For more texture, stick with russet or yukon potatoes.}

• 1 large parsnip (opt.)
• 1 cup heavy cream.

_{Can substitute sour cream, lite sour cream, milk or lowfat milk}

• 1/2 cup salted butter (typically 1 whole stick)

_{Can use less butter}

• Salt and pepper to taste
• Other seasonings could include finely chopped chives or scallions, roasted garlic, crumbled bacon (bacon is, after all, a seasoning), Italian parsley, Parmesan cheese, or my favorite, wasabi powder.

TOOLS

• Large boiling pot
• Small saucepan
• Measuring cup
• Colander
• Potato masher

Step 2: Clean 'em and chop e'm

• Peel or thoroughly clean potatoes and parsnip
• Cut pieces into similar size chunks so they will cook evenly. 1 1/2" - 2" is good.

Step 3: Cook 'em up

• Fill a large pot with enough water to cover the potatoes.
• Add salt to water (opt)
• Add potatoes and parsnip to water
• Heat over high until boiling
• Reduce to simmer
• Cook, covered, for 15-20 minutes, until tender enough to easily stab with a fork
• Remove from heat and drain in colander

Step 4: Warm cream and butter

Yeah, that pretty much says it. While potatoes are draining:

• In a small saucepot, heat 1 cup cream _{(or sour cream, or milk)} and 1/2 cup butter over low heat until melted

Step 5: Smash potatoes

• Mash up potatoes (and parsnip)
• Add cream mixture and additional seasonings
• Mash some more - but not too much! That part is up to you.
• Season to taste.

_{Now is the time to add chives, bacon or whatever you love!}

Step 6: Eat 'em up!

Yum! Mashed potatoes!

So easy and sooooo goooood.

Comments

[HollyMann]

Adding a variety of potatoes sounds interesting - and a parnsip? Awesome! :) I shall try this sometime. As a kid I watched my mom make mashed potatoes and hers were so so good. I make them how she did - Just potatoes, add maybe a 1/2 cup of milk more or less depending on how much you're making and add 1/4 to a 1/2 cup of sour cream and a cpl tbsp of butter. Add some salt and pepper and done! I love them that way...seems pretty healthy too. Thanks for your ideas to change things up - def. never tried wasabi with it..I will!

[AussieAnglerGal]

oh yum the idea of wasabi powder or garlic would be sooo good :)

[imagigadgets]

No, bacon is meat candy (=D)

[SeaLion]

My friend and I started to add cheese to mash one day...the stringy cheese and the cheesey flavour in the mash is awesome! I suppose I shall try your recipe and add some cheese to it :D
Then again, I can't find the type of potatoes you used there...:(

[scoochmaroo]

I love adding all sorts of things - cheese, wasabi, roast garlic. It's all good. What kind of potatoes can you get? Jacket potatoes are good!

[SeaLion]

I don't really know what kind of potatoes I get...I tend to go for the 'all rounder' types (well..the cheapest and nicest packed ones...It's some 'rooster potatoes' or something lately (they come up to like 50pence per kilo or something from the supermarket)...but then again, whatever potatoes I use, my friend will mash it down to smitherens with a fork.
I think once my friend and his friend made a 'manly omlette' by adding mash into their very black peppery omelette...it tasted very...manly...

[scoochmaroo]

That sounds like an awesome Instructable: The Manly Omelet!

[freakinslop]

try adding some butternut squash to the mix, it tastes great!

[barbwish]

Great idea...just wiki'd butternut squash & was surprised to find a food allergy caution, but looks easy deal w/in peeling & prep also Vit A ...sounds like a winner for heath AND delicious!

[Quinkes]

A Potato Ricer makes sure you get get no lumps.

[Yerboogieman]

ok, so, i dont have yukon potatoes so im going to try this from russet and red. Thanks!

[nightninja87]

nice but i wouldnt use red cause there waxy and hold there shape best thing i think is steaming them then mashing them to keep there nutriontion in but good other then that

[jenjenbug]

I steam my potatoes. They seem to cook faster and more thoroughly. I seem to get fewer lumps when I mash them if I've steamed the potatoes. On another note: what does a parsnip taste like? I'm pretty sure I've had them but can't for the life of me remember anything about the experience.

[nightninja87]

i never really tasted that many there like potatoes but different flavour