The best way to enjoy the humble potato.
As many of you know, I am a big lover of everything noodle related. Pasta and noodles are hands down my favorite carb. However, potatoes easily come in second place as my favorite way to enjoy starchy carbs. With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I thought mashed potatoes would be the perfect recipe to pay homage to the holiday.
There are so many delightful ways to enjoy tubers (the scientific names for potatoes!), but one of my family’s favorites is mashed potatoes. Actually, I think mashed potatoes might just be everyone's favorite way to eat potatoes. These creamy and fluffy potatoes are the perfect vehicle to soak up delicious sauce, gravy, or great when topped with melted butter.
I know every family has their own special way to make mashed potatoes. Some people use skim milk, heavy cream, or even sour cream. Some people leave their skins on and some people enjoy theirs skinless. The two things potatoes love are FAT and SALT. So as long as they are getting a healthy dose of both, your potatoes will be delicious. This recipe is highly adaptable and can be adjusted to your liking!
I personally prefer my mashed potatoes with skins left on - in fact, on an Instagram poll I released, 73% of my followers said they enjoyed skins on vs. 27% skinless. I think the skins add a nice bite, but feel free to remove them if you do not like them. I hope this recipe can help you with your friendsgiving or thanksgiving this year!
Recipe
5-25 Min Prep
35 Min Cook
12 Side Servings
Ingredients:
5 lb bag of yukon gold potatoes, cut into quarters
8 Tablespoons or 1 stick of unsalted butter
1 Tablespoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper (~10 cracks)
3 cups half and half
Steps:
1. Fill a large pot with water. Cover and set to high heat until boiling.
2.
For skinless: Peel your potatoes and then wash them thoroughly. For potatoes roughly the size of your fist, cut them into quarters. For anything much smaller, you can just cut them in half.
For skins: Wash your potatoes thoroughly. Scrub the potatoes with water until there are no signs of dirt or debris. For potatoes roughly the size of your fist, cut them into quarters. For anything much smaller, you can just cut them in half.
3. Once your water has come to a rapid boil, carefully add your washed and cut potatoes to the pot. You may need to adjust the heat to prevent the water from boiling over at this point. Let your potatoes boil for 25-35 minutes, with the lid slightly ajar, until fork tender.
4. While your potatoes boil, add your butter, salt, pepper, and half and half to a small saucepan. Heat the mixture on a low flame until lightly simmering. Once heated, turn off the heat and let sit.
5. Your potatoes are done when they can be poked with a fork and have very little resistance. Drain the potatoes and return to the large pot. Add your warmed half and half mixture and mash - you can either use a hand mixer or hand masher.
6. Once potatoes are smooth, taste and adjust for seasoning. You can add additional salt, pepper, butter, and half and half until your potatoes reach your desired taste and consistency.
7. Top with additional melted butter as desired and enjoy!
Additional Tips:
Seasoning: This recipe only calls for 1 tablespoon of kosher salt. If you know you are serving these potatoes with a salty gravy or meat then they should be perfect as is. However, if you are eating these potatoes by themselves I suggest adding more salt to taste.
Lumpy Mashed Potatoes: To prevent your mashed potatoes from being lumpy make sure they are fully fork tender and soft before draining. Oftentimes, lumpy potatoes are a result of undercooked potatoes. If you LIKE lumps in your potatoes, mash the potatoes lightly in order to keep potato chunks intact.
Using a Ricer: If you have access to a ricer, you would want to pass the cooked potatoes through the ricer before returning them to the pot with the half and half mixture. The ricer will not allow the skins to pass through so there is no need to peel your potatoes. Ricers are the ultimate way to ensure the your mashed potatoes are as smooth as possible.
Starch Content: No two potatoes are the exact same! If your mashed potatoes are still thick and gloppy you might need to add additional half and half to compensate for a high starch content. The starchier the potatoes the thicker they will be.