Instant Potatoes that Taste Homemade

For years I hosted either Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner for the family at my house…sometimes both. Making dressing (from scratch) and roasting a 22 lb turkey is a load of work. Add freshly made pies (including Gramma’s homemade pie crust) and rolls and a kitchen too small for a helper, and it becomes obvious why, when taste would not be compromised, I took the occasional shortcut.

My daughter, who had come for dinner with her family, popped into the kitchen one holiday as I was making the mashed potatoes, stopped dead, and dropped her jaw open. “When did you start using instant mashed potatoes?” she asked incredulously. I stirred the pot and just smiled, handing her a serving dish to put on the table.

“I always use instant potatoes when I’m doing a big meal like this,” I told her, but she didn’t believe me. You see, instant mashed potatoes lack the creamy richness of homemade, and can have a subtle grittiness…and even a faint cardboardy taste…that gives away their time in the box. The reason my daughter was so shocked is that the way I made the instant potatoes, the taste and texture don’t give their origins away, so it never occurred to her that they might not be freshly made!

Quickie Mashed Potatoes

(6 servings)

Ingredients:

2 cups milk

3 tbs. butter (not margarine)

½ tsp salt

¾ cup cream

2 cups high-quality instant mashed potatoes (Betty Crocker Potato Buds recommended)

Preparation:

Heat milk, butter and salt to just before milk boils

Remove from heat

Stir in cream and potatoes with a fork until potatoes are the desired consistency. (Do not whip)

These will get stiff if allowed to sit for any length of time, so do not prepare until just before serving. If they must be thinned out, stir in more cream in ¼ cup increments.

Rich and Creamy Mashed Potatoes

My late husband's mother was from France and although she came to America in the 1940s, her French accent remained strong, as did her love of cooking and entertaining. Her mashed potatoes were to die for…rich, creamy, melt-in-your-mouth delicious! I was finally able to find out what she did to make them so fabulous and now you will, too. This is the way she made them...rich and creamy and better than dessert!

Make a little extra and set aside (before taking the potatoes to the table!) to top a delicious Cottage Pie for your next night's meal.

Jacqui’s Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients:
2 lbs (1 kg) waxy potatoes (White Rose or Yukon Gold)
⅓ cup salted butter
4 oz cream cheese, softened
½ cup whipping cream
Milk
Salt

Preparation:
Peel potatoes and cut into bite-sized pieces. Place in pot and cover with salted water. Bring to a boil and cook uncovered for 30 to 45 minutes or until potatoes are easily pierced with a fork. Drain and set aside.

While potatoes are cooking, place butter and cream cheese together in a large bowl and blend together thoroughly with an electric mixer.

Take hot potatoes and place in a potato ricer, food mill, or Mouli. Place potato ricer over the bowl of butter and cream cheese and rice all of the potatoes. You can use a traditional potato masher, but you are much more likely to get lumps in the final product with it.

Once all the potatoes are in the bowl, add cream and beat with electric mixer. If the potatoes are too thick, add milk in small amounts until you get the desired thickness. Add salt to taste and whip thoroughly with mixer.

Serve with fresh butter.

Variations:
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Prepare exactly the same as above with the following exception:

At the time the potatoes are put through the potato ricer, add 4 to 6 cloves of roasted garlic and pass them through the ricer with the potatoes.

These are especially delicious the second day!

Cheese Mashed Potatoes
Using the main recipe above, reduce the amount of cream cheese by half and substitute an equal amount of a finely grated cheese of your choice. Do not beat the cheese with the butter, but add it after the potatoes are riced and beat into the hot potatoes.

Herbed Mashed Potatoes
Prepare potatoes according to main recipe with the following addition:
After potatoes are riced but before beating with mixer, add ⅓ cup finely chopped fresh herbs of your choice.

Photo credit: jslander, Flickr