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Not-So-Humble Mashed Potatoes
| Meet the Blogger | More Posts by Elizabeth Smith
“As long as there are mashed potatoes, I’ll be happy,” said a guest joining us for our Thanksgiving meal. He didn’t seem to care if the turkey was dry (it wasn’t) or the cranberry sauce was fresh (it was). He simply wanted creamy smooth mashed potatoes. And they were.
UPDATE: Thanks to everyone that entered. Congrats to Julie P., our randomly chosen winner!
As arguably the most important side dish of the season, everyone seems to have a preferred method to cook mashed potatoes. (Me? I cook the potatoes cold and don’t peel them until after they’re cooked.) There are tons of recipes out there, but many are tame and traditional. Potatoes. Butter. Milk. Salt. Pepper. When done right, those five staples are heavenly. But is something missing?
Some home cooks work to ensure potato perfection by adding secret ingredients. Sour cream? Roasted garlic? Blue cheese? Why not! Here are a few of our favorite recipes that move beyond the classic mashed potato recipe in the quest for a celestial side dish.
Cheesy Mashed Potatoes. Gruyère. Parmesan. Sour cream. Oh my!- Mashed Potatoes with White Truffle Oil. If after seeing the words “truffle oil”, you’re still reading this and not headed to the store to make this recipe, I applaud you. Your will power is stronger than mine.
- Tahini-Garlic Mashed Potatoes. This dish is dairy free and full of flavor.
- Creamy Mashed Potatoes and Parsnips. Parsnips add flavor and texture to otherwise traditional mashed potatoes in this version.
- Miso and Garlic Mashed Potatoes. Aged barley miso and roasted garlic turn this traditional side into vegan comfort food of the highest order.
Do you smash the everyday mash recipe? Share your secret ingredients in your not-so-humble mashed potatoes in the comments below by December 31, and you could win a $50 Whole Foods Market® gift card.
The fine print: No purchase necessary. Promotion ends December 31, 2012, 11:59 PM CDT. Must be a legal resident of the US or Canada (except in Quebec, where it is void) age 18 or older to participate. Taxes on prize, if applicable, are the responsibility of the winner. Employees of Whole Foods Market, Inc., are not eligible. Void where prohibited.
263 Comments
Comments
I mash my potatoes wiht chicken broth, garlic and parmasan cheese.
12/12/2012 3:37:36 PM CST
Dear Crew it sounds awesome.luv,Faith
12/12/2012 3:38:37 PM CST
Mashed potatoes with whole milk, basil and lemon.
12/12/2012 4:13:54 PM CST
I add some rosmary and some garlic and chicken broth that is low in sodium.
12/12/2012 4:15:48 PM CST
cream, salt, cheese!!!!
12/12/2012 4:16:18 PM CST
I boil my potatoes (no particular kind) in a couple of inches of water after washing but not peeling. When the potatoes are soft, I mash them in the cooking water with salt, pepper, butter and add milk to desired consistency.
12/12/2012 4:21:16 PM CST
Organic chicken broth, parsley and himilayan crystal salt!
12/12/2012 4:24:17 PM CST
My husband can't have dairy, so we make mashed potatoes (preferably with yukon golds) with Earth Balance and warm soy milk. We found out that it works best to salt the water you are boiling the potatoes in and sometimes (for a twist), we add an onion in with the potatoes while they are boiling. The warm soy milk ensures that the potatoes do not cool down too quickly and helps in the mashing process -- whether with a potato masher or with a hand held mixer.
12/12/2012 4:27:42 PM CST
Cut up Yukon Gold potatoes into 1 inch pieces and boil with 2 cloves of garlic. Drain potatoes and remove garlic cloves. Mash potatoes while adding milk and olive oil to taste. Then, add in crumbled, bacon bits and scallions. Add salt and pepper to taste. Top with shredded, cheddar cheese. Yum!
12/12/2012 4:44:33 PM CST
our secret is fresh basil leaves and fresh lemon juice added to regular butter, buttermilk and pepper and salt.
fresh and delicious!
12/12/2012 4:52:30 PM CST
It's the holidays so calories do not count! I love to add sour cream and chives to my mash potatoes. Later left overs can be used as twice baked by adding bacon and cheddar cheese. Eating it twice with two different flavors make eating potatoes something my family always looks foward to at this time of the year!
12/12/2012 5:01:29 PM CST
I use a tablespoon of nutmeg, Earth Balance for a quickly disappearing bowl of mashed taters, and vegan too!
12/12/2012 5:01:38 PM CST
My mashed Suds;
peel n boil "red" pototes, in a mixer add sour cream and or condense milk , smart balance, chives, bacon and sea salt n pepper. Yum!
12/12/2012 5:02:56 PM CST
tablespoon of nutmeg, Earth Balance make our mashed taters vegan and delicious!
12/12/2012 5:03:16 PM CST
Cheesy Garlic Vegan Mashed Potatoes
I use Nutritional Yeast instead of cheese and pre bake elephant garlic then mash prior to adding into the mashed potatoes. To get the desired consistency I use coconut oil. Enjoy this vegan side!
12/12/2012 5:04:37 PM CST
Using Yukon Gold potatoes in the first place makes the whole thing yummy no matter what I do to mess it up.
12/12/2012 5:07:46 PM CST
I always put sauteed garlic and onions in my mashed potatoes. I leave the skins on and also add almond milk and a butter substitute. Cracked black pepper and sea salt. Then, for an extra kick, I add a little horseradish!
12/12/2012 5:12:49 PM CST
Garlic, chives and butter...yum.
12/12/2012 5:13:25 PM CST
The trick is to drain your potatoes as soon as they finish cooking and mash them. If left in the water, they will get watery and lose much of the creamy texture. Mash the potatoes, add canned evaporated milk, stick margarine and season well with salt and pepper. YUM!
12/12/2012 5:16:32 PM CST
Oven-roasted garlic (the whole bulb), half and half, salt and pepper....mmmm.....
12/12/2012 5:20:18 PM CST
My secret ingredient is... horseradish! It adds a subtle kick and tastes incredible with chopped parsley, butter, and sour cream. In the summer, I buy purple potatoes from the farmer's market and smash those instead for a really beautiful pop of color and a health boost - they're believed to lower blood pressure!
12/12/2012 5:22:27 PM CST
My smashed potatoes are somewhat rustic looking, but tasty. I slow roast a head of garlic in some olive oil in the oven and mash a few heads well to include in my smashed potatoes. I like to use smaller red skinned potatoes, leaving the skin on.
When it comes time to mix up the potatoes, I add warmed butter & milk, and some chopped fresh parsley along with salt & pepper. I prefer not to whip the potatoes, instead leaving it someone chunky with lumps.
For added zing, I sometimes add a bit of wasabi.
12/12/2012 5:25:31 PM CST
boil the potatoes first easy to peel. then after draining water. put potatoes in a pot. add butter salt/pepper
milk. . use beaters to mash. put a layer of potatoes in a cake pan. spread shredder cheese. add another layer of potatoes and more cheese on top bake in the over for 10/15 mins. and enjoy!!
12/12/2012 5:25:50 PM CST
Choose nice heavy russets, roughly chop leaving skins on, place in cold salted water--just enough to cover, bring to boil, add Kosher salt, lower fire, poach till tender. Drain well, skin, return to hot pan to dry further. Throw in very generous proportion best unsalted butter, dash olive oil, and the special seasonings: finely ground fenugreek and cumin, pepper, dusting of lemon zest. Taste for salt, pepper. Mash coarsely.
Serve at once or do in advance and heat under hot broiler, briefly. Few will guess at the fenugreek.
12/12/2012 5:31:02 PM CST
My kids love plain mashed potatoes. The key is to use quality potatoes. My secret ingredient, besides sea salt and (butter)milk, is nutmeg. When ready, my daughter and I like to put a little bit of apple sauce on top of each forkful of mashed potatoes. Yum.
12/12/2012 5:35:08 PM CST