mashed potatoes - help!?

Question

can someone help me with this mashed potato problem- i love eating mashed potatoes but i suck at making them. please tell me EXACTLY wut i should do to get them right.
thank u in advance!

Answer 1

Creamy Mashed Potatoes
1 cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 large Yukon gold potatoes, peeled
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil, optional
2 tablespoons chopped chives, for garnish
Warm the cream with the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until the butter melts; set aside.
Put the potatoes in a medium saucepan with cold water to cover. Bring to boil then add 1 teaspoon of salt and reduce the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the potatoes are very tender. Drain. Pass the potatoes through a food mill or a ricer into a large mixing bowl. Stir in the warm cream and butter mixture until the cream is absorbed and the mixture is smooth. Season the potatoes with salt and pepper and finish them off by stirring in 1/4 cup olive oil. Top with chopped chives.

Answer 2

For flawless mashed potatoes, try this:

Scrub and peel about six potatoes (I like Yukon gold, but you can mash any kind you want.). Dice them into 1/2 inch cubes and cover with water in a large pot. Salt thoroughly and bring to the boil. Boil at medium high for about 15 - 20 minutes. When you can stick them with a fork and they break easily, they're done. Don't over cook them or they'll get mushy and won't be good.

Drain them well and put them back in the cooking pot with about 1/2 stick of butter and put the lid on. (Do NOT return them to the burner--sitting them on the counter top at this point is fine.) When the butter is melted, take a potato masher (or hand held ricer) and mash them up to break up all the large lumps into smaller lumps and mix the butter in a little. Star with about 1/4 cup milk and using an electric hand mixer, start mixing them on high. Gradually add more milk until they look to be about the right consistency to you, beating all the time until you see very few lumps. Don't dump in all the milk at once because then they'll be soupy. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve!

I think the two most important rules in making good mashed potatoes are: Be sure to mash/whip them when the potatoes are still good and hot; and don't use too much milk!

Answer 3

Ok, I made some great artery clogging mashed potatoes once. They're easy as can be but you just need to take your time with them.

To figure potatoes, the old saying is one potatoe for each person eating and one for the pot. That is, let's say you've got 5 people eating mashed potatoes. you cut up 1 for each, which would be 5, plus one additional for the pot, so now you need 6. Cut them into equal sized cubes, about 1.5 inches or so, equal so they cook evenly.

Put them in water and bring to a boil. Add a dash of salt to the water, why not have good tasting potatoes I say. After they boil and simmer a while, check them with a fork for tenderness. You should be able to poke a fork all the way through without a problem, or basically mash the pieces easily.

Drain water and place potatoes back into pot. Add butter ( I use lots, with 6 potatoes, maybe 4 - 6 Tbsp) and cream (about 1/2 - 3/4 cup) and mash together. To get a creamier consistency, use a hand mixer to really get them whipped up.

You can add salt and pepper to taste, then I like to add some chives or scallions to them before serving, really looks nice and adds some nice flavor.

Have fun with it!

Answer 4

First, it's best to use the right potato. Get a "waxy" type, such as Yukon Gold or New Potatoes, rather than the starchy baking potato.

Cut the potatoes so they are all approximately the same size. They can be chunks, but they should all be about the same size. Put them in the pot, add cold water to cover all the potatoes, add a little bit of salt, and cook them until they are fork tender.

Drain the potatoes and put them back in the same pot. The heat from the pot will help to dry them out a little more. Then mash them and add butter, milk or cream, salt and pepper.

You can also add sour cream, chives, dill, roasted garlic, or other herbs and spices to taste.

Answer 5

Boil the cut up potatoes until they are done (when you stick a fork in them they should feel really soft). Drain the potatoes. Return them to the pan. I mash them up a little bit then add butter and milk. I usually add about 3 Tablespoons of butter and milk. If I need more milk, then I add it. When you add the butter and milk, mash the potatoes again, until you get the consistency that you want, chunky or smooth. My husband adds some garlic powder also. Make sure to season with at least salt and pepper. Good luck.

Answer 6

Ok, here's how I make them. (Please excuse me for not having exact measurements and times)

Wash and cut up about 5 large russets, or 7-8 Yukons, enough for a potful. Cover with water, and boil until they're fork-tender. Drain.

While you're doing that, melt 6-8 Tbsp butter or margarine, put in 2 giant Tbsp of minced garlic. Let that steep while the potatoes boil.

Cut up a brick of room temp cream cheese. Add that to the drained potatoes. Mash with a mixer (not on) and then turn the mixer on. At the last minute, add the garlic butter and mix. Season with salt and pepper.

And if they're too runny, put in a little handful and keep mixing until it's the right consistency.

I've made them this way for years, they're easy and really good.

Answer 7

Peel the potatoes and cut them into chunks. (Yeah, I know everyone says to leave them whole, but it doesn't matter.) Boil in salted water until they are JUST done -- maybe 10 minutes. If you overcook them, they get all watery. Drain the potatoes, then return them to the saucepan and put the lid on. Shake them around a little over low heat to dry them out. Heat 2 tablespoons of melted butter with 2 tablespoons of heavy cream for each pound of potatoes. Mash the potatoes well with the cream and butter, then stir in 2 tablespoons of buttermilk for each pound of potatoes. I don't like to use an electric mixer to whip potatoes, but you can use one to make sure all the lumps are out.

Answer 8

Peel and boil 4 to 6 medium-size potatoes for 20 to 25 minutes, or until tender when pierced with the tip of a knife....Puree potatoes by passing them through a food mill or potato ricer, whipping them with an electric mixer, or mashing them with a potato masher or heavy fork. Work out lumps as best you can...Whisk in 2 to 4 tbsp. melted butter, a pinch of salt

Answer 9

when my potatos come off the stove I add butter and milk and then 1 egg so that the potatoes are hot enough to cook the egg as I mash them all together. Add salt and pepper for flavour and you're good to go.

Answer 10

Boil the potatoes until fork tender. Then drain really well. I add butter and a good spoonful of mayo to make them really creamy. Little salt & pepper and you're ready to eat.