The Perfect Mashed Potatoes

August 21, 2015

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Hi Everyone!

So I have to say that my all time favorite, cannot live without, if I were stranded on an island what food would I pick to have, is mashed potatoes. My love affair with mashed potatoes began as a child when my Nonnie would make me her famous “Buttered Parsley Potatoes.” As I grew into adulthood and took my passion for potatoes with me, I began to try and recreate my Nonnie’s famous potatoes and make them even better, if that was at all possible. I was somewhat successful, and each time I made them they got a little better. I then happened to go to a cooking class with mashed potatoes as one of the items on the menu and then my life changed forever. The recipe is so easy. It’s the preparation tips that I learned at the cooking class that made the mashed potatoes so much better.

Here’s how it goes:

Yukon gold potatoes

Whole Milk (You can substitute with skim or reduced fat milk, but why? You are making mashed potatoes…just go for it!)

Salt & Pepper

Onion Powder

Butter (you can substitute for margarine here, but see above for my thoughts on that!)

Potato Ricer

Peal and chop the potatoes into 1 1/2 inch pieces.

Boil the potatoes until soft in salted water (don’t forget to salt the water).

Drain the potatoes and place through the potato ricer (a potato ricer is the key in getting the right texture).

Add hot milk to the potatoes and stir (Another key here is the hot milk. It absorbs into the potatoes much better than cold milk and creates for the best texture.)

Add the salt, pepper, and onion powder (as with all spices- start with smaller amounts, taste, and add more as needed.)

Mix in a small amount of butter to taste.

Serve!

That’s it….so easy! So what were the main tips I learned from the $200.00 cooking class that I am so generously passing on to you?

Secrets to The Perfect Mashed Potatoes

ALWAYS use Yukon gold potatoes when making mashed potatoes.
ALWAYS use a potato ricer to mix the potatoes and NEVER an electric device such as mixer or kitchen aid (it overworks the potatoes and creates a gummy texture).
Add hot milk, NEVER COLD to the potatoes.
Top with butter as the last ingredient you put in (you do not need that much butter).

And what goes perfectly with mashed potatoes? EVERYTHING! Pancakes, scrambled eggs, turkey sandwiches, ice cream, sitting on the beach with a margarita! But really, the more traditional dishes that I make for my family that pairs well with mashed potatoes are: