Easy Mashed Potatoes

DSC_0243

No side dish screams “comfort food” like mashed potatoes. Spuds are meant to be mashed with butter and doused in milk or cream. Mashed potatoes can be blended with anything from sour cream to bacon to grated cheese. I’m keeping things simple here and doing the most basic mashed potatoes. Basic mashed potatoes have 3 ingredients: potatoes, milk, and butter. Add some salt and pepper and call it a day, because these mashed potatoes are A-okay.

Click here for the recipe for ‘Easy Mashed Potatoes’

Here’s what you need:

DSC_0209

Russet potatoes, unsalted butter, and whole milk. Whole milk makes the world go ’round. Also, russet potatoes are the best potato variety for mashed potatoes because they fluff up like clouds.

DSC_0192

We gotta peel them potatoes. This part is very mundane.

DSC_0194

Peel away. Eeekk, there’s a lot of dirt everywhere.

DSC_0197

Rinse the peeled potatoes.

DSC_0199

Now we gotta cube the potatoes. Cut them in half lengthwise.

DSC_0200

And then cube them into roughly 1-inch pieces.

DSC_0216

Throw all the cubed spuds into a large pot and cover them with water. Make sure there’s at least 1 inch of water above the surface of the potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook the potatoes for about 15 minutes, just until they’re super duper cooked.

DSC_0231

When they’re super duper cooked, they fall apart easily and mash like a breeze. Just like this. Drain the potatoes.

DSC_0234

Dump the potatoes back into the pot they were cooked in. That’ll help evaporate all the excess moisture.

DSC_0236

Add lotsa butter. And some milk.

DSC_0237

Whole milk, ok? Oh, and you don’t really have to warm up the milk before. Some people heat the milk and butter in a pot before they add them to the potatoes. I don’t like to dirty up another pot, so cold butter and cold milk are fine for me.

DSC_0238

Using a potato masher or electric hand mixer, mash away. You can try any sort of kitchen gadget to mash them. Just don’t use a blender to whip up the potatoes. You will create glue. Don’t believe me? Go try it.

DSC_0239

Add some salt…

DSC_0240

And lotsa pepper. Taste it and adjust for seasoning. Return the pot back to the stove and set the heat to as low as it goes. That’ll keep them warm.

DSC_0241

Whipped, light mashed potatoes — there’s nothing more comforting. Maybe a bowl of chicken noodle soup, but that’s about it.

[print_this]

Mashed Potatoes

Total time: 25 min
Prep: 10 min
Cook: 15 min
Yield: about 8 servings
Level: Easy

Ingredients:
6 large russet potatoes, peeled and cubed into 1-1/2 inch pieces
1 cup whole milk
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Add cubed potatoes to a large pot and cover with water so there is at least 1 inch of water above potatoes. Bring pot to a boil over high heat. Cook potatoes until tender and soft, about 10-15 minutes. Drain potatoes and transfer potatoes back to large pot used to cook them. Using a potato masher (or electric hand mixer), mash potatoes to desired mashed consistency. Add butter and milk and continue mashing until potatoes are light and fluffy. Add salt and pepper. Adjust for seasoning. Serve immediately.

PER SERVING (1/8 of recipe): Calories 263, Fat 7grams, Total Carb. 47grams, Protein 5grams
(nutritional facts are an approximation and may vary slightly for each individual, depending on brands and ingredients used)

[/print_this]

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *