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Home » Side Dishes

October 18, 2017 Side Dishes

Perfect Mashed Potatoes

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Learning how to make mashed potatoes may not seem like seem like a hard task, but a few special secrets will give you the best mashed potatoes you have ever eaten!   No one likes a mountain of Elmer’s glue on their plate, so read on to discover how to make them perfect every single time.  Homemade mashed potatoes make every dinner better, but can you guess what type of potatoes work best?

how to make mashed potatoes

How to make mashed potatoes

I make mashed potatoes every Sunday for our big family dinner.  If I serve anything but roasted pork loin, mashed potatoes and gravy, Amish Potato Rolls and garlic green beans for this traditional weekly meal, I hear about it.  After so many years of making mashed potatoes, I have these babies down to a science!

How to make mashed potatoes

How to Make Mashed Potatoes

Step 1. Use Yukon Gold Potatoes and Toss the Idaho Potatoes

Step 2. Use Cream, Butter and Garlic – go big or go home

Step 3. Toss Out Your Potato Masher and Use a Hand Mixer

Step 1 – Now, don’t get all upset with me just yet for pushing you towards a new type of potato.  I am not trash talking your standard Idaho or Russet spud.  They have their uses, but mashed potatoes just isn’t one of them.  Yukon gold potatoes are slightly more expensive, but they have a natural buttery flavor and creamy texture that just can’t be beat.  Yes, your end result is slightly yellow but soon you will be able to tell lousy mashed potatoes from fantabulous ones based on this visual cue.

Step 2 – I always get a chuckle from readers who try to make certain recipes “healthy” by cutting out mandatory ingredients like cream and butter.  Let’s be honest here…these potatoes are simple carbs no matter what you add to them so if you are going to enjoy a bit of mashed potatoes with your meal, shouldn’t they be completely delicious?

When it comes to learning how to make mashed potatoes the right way, use milk as the main dairy addition, but before I am done, I always add heavy cream.  It takes that average texture to a whole new level.  As far as butter and garlic, please don’t be afraid of either.  For a 5 lb bag of potatoes, I use half a stick of butter and a generous tablespoon of garlic powder when I am mashing.  Some people think the garlic will overpower the potatoes, but it just adds some much needed depth of flavor.  Even “garlic haters” have sat at my table and raved over my mashed potatoes, never knowing that those killer spuds are so killer because of that necessary addition.

Step 3 – When it comes to the actual act of mashing, most people pull out the standard potato masher.  I love mine, but not for this specific task!  For me, the only proper tool for making the perfect mashed potatoes is a simple electric hand mixer.  This little work horse takes the tender potatoes, cream, milk, butter and garlic and whips them all up into a pot of potato nirvana.

I know some people swear by a potato ricer for the best end result, but I have one and am just not a fan.  Not only does it take an eternity to rice 5 lbs of potatoes, but I just wasn’t impressed with the texture of the finished product.  I will take my cheap electric mixer any day and whip those babies to a smooth, creamy perfection.


Take a peek at my quick video to see the magic all come together right before your eyes!

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how to make mashed potatoes

How to Make Mashed Potatoes

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews
  • Author: Carole Jones
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Description

A simple recipe for the perfectly creamy garlic mashed potatoes!


Ingredients

Scale
  • 5 pounds Yukon gold potatoes
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 8 C cold water
  • 1/4 C butter
  • 3/4 C skim milk
  • 1/3 C heavy cream
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper

Instructions

  1. Peel and chop the potatoes, then place in a large pot with the salt and cold water. Bring to a boil, then cover and boil until the potatoes are soft and fork tender. Drain the water.
  2. Add all the remaining ingredients then use either a potato masher or hand mixer to mash the potatoes until light and fluffy. Add any additional milk to create your desired thickness. Serve immediately.

Notes

To reheat any leftover potatoes, you will need to add a bit more milk


Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1/10th
  • Calories: 238
  • Sugar: 1g
  • Sodium: 476mg
  • Fat: 8g
  • Saturated Fat: 5g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 1g
  • Trans Fat: 0g
  • Carbohydrates: 42g
  • Fiber: 3g
  • Protein: 1g
  • Cholesterol: 23mg

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @thecarolejones on Instagram and hashtag it #mykitchenescapades

 

Perfect Mashed Potatoes Video

 

 

**My friend, this post contains Amazon affiliate links which means I receive a small compensation if you make a purchase using my link, at no additional cost to you.   And no worries….I only link to products that I both use and love! ~Carole 

Categories: Side Dishes Tags: Potatoes

Filed Under: Side Dishes
18 Comments
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. phil says

    March 11, 2016 at 12:59 pm

    thanks for your recipe
    however, some of our family members are lactose intolerant.
    can this recipe be changed ?

    Reply
    • Carole says

      March 11, 2016 at 1:45 pm

      Absolutely Phil. Just use a high fat content lactose free milk. I wouldn’t use almond milk because it is just too sweet

      Reply
    • Yvonne says

      September 14, 2016 at 3:59 pm

      Chicken stock is my old stand by.

      Reply
      • Carole says

        September 15, 2016 at 11:45 am

        Thanks for sharing Yvonne!

        Reply
  2. Marlene says

    April 20, 2016 at 2:53 pm

    Your potato technique is a must to try!!

    Reply
    • Carole says

      April 20, 2016 at 3:19 pm

      Thanks Marlene 🙂

      Reply
  3. Sue says

    September 14, 2016 at 11:46 am

    Hi do you actually have posted recipe for these They look so good thanks sue

    Reply
    • Carole says

      September 15, 2016 at 11:48 am

      Howdy Sue! I don’t have a published step by step recipe but if you read through the specifics of each tip, you should have all the info you need to make them.

      Reply
  4. Victoria says

    October 19, 2017 at 8:26 am

    This is how I make my taters. I do add to my water before they start to boil salt, and a few different garlic spices. When ready to mash, I use whole milk, butter, salt and pepper and then I add Duke’s Mayo to my mashed taters. I don’t measure though, I just taste and add as I mix if anything needs to be added. I get great reviews on my taters. Your MT’s look good, I may have to try the heavy cream one day. Thanks for sharing

    Reply
    • Carole says

      October 19, 2017 at 11:18 am

      Thanks for sharing how you make yours Victoria!

      Reply
  5. Virginia Anderson says

    October 19, 2017 at 9:15 am

    I’m one of those who try to make recipes healthy, potatoes are carbs which, as a runner, my body needs. I have potatoes on a regular basis and try to keep them a healthy part of my diet.

    Reply
    • Carole says

      October 19, 2017 at 11:19 am

      Potatoes are one of my favorite carbs as well Virginia! I am a Les Mills fitness instructor and couldn’t survive the rigors without them.

      Reply
  6. cindy masterson says

    October 19, 2017 at 9:34 am

    Just curious as to why you use skim milk instead of whole milk ?

    Reply
    • Carole says

      October 19, 2017 at 11:21 am

      Hi Cindy! Since I am using heavy cream, that provides enough fat and creaminess for the perfect mashed potatoes. If you are going to use whole milk, just reduce the amount of cream since whole milk has that cream already in it.

      Reply
  7. Hala says

    October 19, 2017 at 8:12 pm

    My family lived It , Thanks

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Carole says

      October 20, 2017 at 1:30 pm

      I’m so glad Hala! Thanks for coming back to let me know.

      Reply
  8. Docmo says

    October 27, 2017 at 12:13 am

    My wife made wonderful, fluffy and good tasting mashed potatoes but I never watched or paid attention to how she made them. So now that she’s passed, I make them and they taste good but don’t look cloudy like my wife’s did. So, I will buy some of those Yukon Golds and follow your instructions. Will see how they come out. Will let you know how they turn out. If I can find your site again. I am not much of a computer person, Old person and don’t like to bother the young ones since they don’t have much patience. Thank you and God Bless, you and your. No reply needed.

    Reply
    • Carole says

      October 30, 2017 at 3:28 pm

      This is one of my favorite comments of all time and God Bless you as well my friend!

      Reply

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