How Do You Mash Your Potatoes

[nieciez]

With the holiday season knocking at our doors my question to all you cooks:

:scratch: How do you mash your potatoes? Do you use an old fashions potato hand masher, a ricer or a mixer? And what do you like to add?

For years I've used a portable mixer....we us a lot of butter and some whole milk if needed. Sometimes we will use sour cream instead. When your mashing 5 - 8 pounds of potatoes the mixer is the way to go though I hear the ricer really makes a much better end product as if your not careful you can over beat the potatoes with the mixer and get the gluey consistency. :nix: So, what's the norm for you?

And do you like your end product to be creamy or do you prefer a few little lumps? Smooth and creamy for my crew.

(Phst, when it's just Leatherneck and me I just nuk a carton of Bob Evan's micorwave potatoes LOL :whistle

 

[Geekette]

I do the same as you do Denise, if I have company and a large quantity of potatoes I use the mixer. If it's just the 2 of us I use the pre-made microwaveable type.

 

[Donna - dsw]

We hand mash just to break up. Then use the mixer - butter and a little bit of milk - when mashed we add of soft block of cream cheese! And then mix that in with the mixer - Good!!!!

 

[maw]

When making for group use mixer, add butter, milk. Peel potatos too.

for Paw and I he uses some of packaged kind you microwave.

Mashed potatos is one thing we have given up during years as not needed. Jim still thinks he needs them at Thanksgiving.

 

[Beryl]

When I have mashed potato … which is not often these days (harkening back to my note in Maw's ramble this morning) I use the old fashioned hand masher. None of our family like "creamy" mashed potatoes. We like them light and fluffy. If you want butter on them you add it yourself. I would never think of using sour cream or cream cheese in potatoes…I save those ingredients for dessert!

Now you know how I lost almost 35 pounds!! You don't eat much and what you do eat you eat very plain and on the bland side!!

 

[Karry]

DH is a mashed potato snob! He likes light and fluffy, hand mixer, lots of butter and milk and S&P...I have tried using the packaged taters, also Idahoian in a pouch are very good. Just add water and micro. :doubleup: Perfect for just the 2 of us and if there is lots of gravy. Who knows the difference if you put a lot of gravy on it? I also like baby red potatoes with skin on and just lightly mashed, some sour cream, maybe a bit of bacon...DH just wants no part of any of that fancy schmancy stuff. I have heard about adding cream cheese, but never tried that. While we are on the subject of FOOD, Denise, I was going to PM you about the garlic chicken your DD made this weekend. I see your recipe in your cookbook, but it is for micro meal and you said you put it in the oven. Can you send me the directions for the oven method? TIA and sorry for the highjack! :whistle: Happy eating!

 

[Krazy Kruizers]

We don't have mashed potatoes on the holidays. We have candied yams.

But when we do have mashed potatoes for other meals -- since it is just the 2 of us -- I use instant mashed potatoes. I gave up hand mashing them quite a few years ago.

 

[iluvcruzin]

I whip the potatoes for holidays - that means with a mixer. We just have too many to feed to "mash" them. I use a little skim milk and kosher salt. Then after they are whipped I add a stick of butter on the top to melt.

 

[connie seabee]

I too use the mixer to whip my potatoes. I add warm milk and butter with Kosher salt and pepper for taste.

I've tried the other variations by adding sour cream or cream cheese, not really our first choice.

 

[KathyC]

Nieciez, I pretty much do it your way. I use the hand masher first then I use the mixer with lots of butter & milk. My gang seems to prefer the potatoes smooth & creamy however, once in a while you might find a small lump or two. I've never tried the cream cheese.

 

[Gramma Ann]

I've always used the mixer. Whip them thoroughly first, add some butter (the real stuff) a little milk, and a dollup of fat free sour cream, sprinkle of salt, but no pepper. To make it pretty for holidays I add a few pats of butter on top, and sometimes a sprinkle of dried parsley. Holidays are the only time I serve potatoes any more.

 

[nieciez]

It's been interesting reading that most of us use the handmixer....it is so easy IMHO especially when making for a large group. Though I make mashed white potatoes for the holidays I do not eat them myself...just too many other good dishes I'd rather fill up on LOL..but Leatherneck MUST have his mashers! I'll never forget the first year Mindy and Kyle were married and Kyle's mother invited us to Thanksgiving dinner....she didn't make mashers but had pototo salad instead. He embarrassed me SO bad when he said loudly "who doesn't make mashed potatoes"

 

[Tobyn]

The mashed taters is my contribution each year. I use a mixer, a bit of milk and lots of butter!

 

[bob]

We didn't have mashed potatoes this year because I was too lazy to go to the store to get the instant mashed potatoes

 

[glo-ree-bee]

I always take off my socks and shoes, wash feet and then dance the mashed potato and they turn out whipped very nicely. Clean feet before putting back on socks and shoes. Noone will ever be the wiser!:kook:

 

[Cruizer]