I was surprised to hear one of the trainers at my gym say he prefers instant mashed potatoes from a box to the real thing! I thought to myself: he needs a few tips on how to make perfect mashed potatoes!
You can make mashed potatoes in just a few easy steps.
Step 1: Wash the potatoes
Step 2: Peel the potatoes
Step 3: Cut the potatoes into 1 ½ inch chunks
Step 4: Put the potatoes in sauce pan and cover with water
(adding 1 teaspoon of salt to the water is optional)
Step 5: Bring to a boil. Turn down to simmer. Simmer 20 minutes
Step 6: Drain the potatoes

Step 7: Add milk, butter, salt and pepper

Step 8: Start mashing!
Keep mashing until the potatoes are creamy and lump free.
Aaahhhh! Perfection
Tempted as you might be to try using a blender or a food processor to mash potatoes...DON'T! Believe me, years ago I tried that. You end up with a gluey, uneatable, awful mess. If you are mashing for a crowd, an electric hand mixer will work beautifully!
Mashed Potatoes Ingredients
(4-6 Servings)
- 2 pounds of potatoes
- ½ to ¾ cup of milk
- Salt and pepper (to your taste)
- 2-6 tablespoons of butter
The Equipment you'll need:
- Sauce pan with a cover
- Vegetable peeler
- Knife
- Potato masher
- Timer
- Colander (optional)
You can view and print this recipe here.
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will | posted on Sep 7, 2006
my grandma used a foodmill, which provides the best texture that I have come across. She also added some milk, and the best part, nutmeg.
nutmeg flavor in mashed potatoes turns it from mashed potatoes into pure unmitigated comfort food.