Basic Mashed Potatoes Recipes

Steps:

• Put 2 pounds whole unpeeled russet or Yukon gold potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with cold water; add 2 tablespoons kosher salt. Bring to a simmer (do not boil) and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 45 minutes.
• Drain the potatoes, then peel and return to the pan; add 1 cup hot milk and 1/2 to 1 stick room-temperature unsalted butter. Mash with a potato masher or fork. Season with salt and pepper.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the potato pieces with water to cover and let stand for 5 minutes to remove excess starch, then drain.
• Bring a large sauce-pan 3/4 full of water to a boil.
• Add the 1 1/2 teaspoon salt and the potatoes and return to a boil until tender when pierced with a fork, about 15 minutes.
• Drain well and return to the empty pan.
• Place the pan over high heat and, turning the potatoes to prevent scorching, heat to evaporate the moisture, 1-2 minutes.
• Remove from the heat.
• Using a potato masher, mash until potatoes are almost smooth.
• Add the butter, mash, and the half-and-half, a little at a time, switching to a spoon when the potatoes are smooth.
• The potatoes should be creamy but not soupy.
• Season to taste with salt and white pepper, transfer to a warmed serving dish and serve immediately.

Steps:

• Peel the potatoes, removing as many of the eyes as possible with the tip of your peeler. (If you prefer more rustic mashed potatoes, keep the skin on half of them.).
• Submerge the potatoes in a bowl of cold water to keep them from turning brown while you are chopping them.
• Cut the potatoes into similar-sized chunks so that they will cook evenly: the cubes should be about 1½ to two inches wide.
• Submerge cubed potatoes into a pot of water that is large enough to hold the potatoes with enough water to cover. Add salt, if desired. Place the pot over a high heat and bring the water to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer.
• Simmer, covered, until tender--about 15-20 minutes. A knife tip inserted into a potato should meet no resistance; if the potato clings to the knife, the potatoes need to cook longer. When potatoes are done, remove from heat and drain immediately.
• Let the potatoes sit for a minute to dry and to allow any excess water to drain from the bottom of the colander. Meanwhile, heat the butter and cream in a small saucepan at a low temperature. (You can also use the microwave for this step.).
• Return the cooked potatoes to the large pan and mash them with the back of a spoon, a food mill, or a potato ricer.
• Gently stir in the warm butter and cream.
• At this point, taste the potatoes for proper seasoning and adjust it to taste. Test for consistency, too: if the potatoes are too thick, add more cream. Other herbs and spices can be added at this point as well--chopped chives, Italian parsley, Parmesan cheese, crumbled bacon, roasted garlic, chopped scallions or creamed leeks are all delicious matches.
• ***To reduce the fat content of traditional mashed potatoes, use low-fat sour cream in place of butter, and milk or broth rather than cream.

Steps:

• Put the potatoes in a large saucepan, add enough cold water to just cover and salt generously. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook, uncovered, until the potatoes are fork-tender, 45 to 55 minutes.
• Drain the potatoes, peel (use an oven mitt or kitchen towel to steady the potatoes) and transfer to a large bowl. Add the butter, warm milk, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and a few grinds of black pepper, and mash with a potato masher.

Steps:

• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes; drain.
• In a small saucepan heat butter and milk over low heat until butter is melted. Using a potato masher or electric beater, slowly blend milk mixture into potatoes until smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Steps:

• Put 2 pounds whole unpeeled russet potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with cold water; season generously with salt. Bring to a simmer (do not boil) and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 45 minutes. Drain, then peel and return to the pan; add 1 cup hot milk and 1/2 to 1 stick room-temperature butter. Mash with a potato masher or fork (do not use a food processor). Season with salt and pepper.

Steps:

• Place potatoes and garlic into a large saucepan full of cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to medium, and boil for about 10-12 minutes. Check potatoes for doneness by poking a few wedges with a fork or skewer--if still firm, cook another minute or two and check again. Repeat until tender. Drain, taking care not to lose garlic cloves. Return potatoes to warm pot.
• Mash potatoes. Do not overwork, or potatoes will be tough (it's okay if there's a few lumps--it just means these are real potatoes, not from a box). Make sure to smash up the garlic, or pull out the cloves and squeeze in a garlic press.
• Add some butter, to taste (I usually use 2-3 T), and salt and pepper, also to taste. Mix until butter has melted.
• Add a little hot milk and beat it into the potatoes. Continue until potatoes are desired creaminess (the amount I use varies, but I usually use between 1/4 and 1/2 cup, give or take a bit).
• Cover pot with foil to keep warm until ready to serve. Potatoes will stay hot for 10-15 minutes this way.
• Serve with a pat of butter in an indentation on top.

Steps:

• Place the potatoes in a large cooking pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low. Simmer until the potatoes are just tender (20 to 30 minutes).
• Drain water. Reserve 1 cup if you want to substitute the potato water for the half and half to save calories. Mix on low speed of an electric mixer.
• Add the butter after cutting it into several pieces so it melts faster (melt it first if you want to so that the potatoes remain steaming hot). Add the warmed half and half or the 1 cup reserved potato water.
• Mix again with the electric mixer, starting on low and increasing the speed to reach the desired consistency. Add the salt and pepper.

Steps:

• Place peeled and quartered potatoes in a large crock pot and fill with water.
• Cook on low over night for 8 hours.
• In the morning drain potatoes (if desired save some potato water for gravy base) and mash with remaining ingredients.
• Dot with extra butter.
• Transport crock pot (if necessary) and cook on low for 3 hours, stir and serve immediately.

Steps:

• Cut potatoes into quarters and place into a pot. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until tender and a fork slides easily into each potato, about 20 minutes. Drain.
• Mash potatoes. Add 2 tablespoon each butter and milk. Adjust the measurements if needed-if it's dry, add more milk and if it's not creamy enough, add more butter. Add celery salt and salt; continue to mash until there are no clumps of potato left and everything is thoroughly blended.

Steps:

• Put potatoes in a large saucepan, and cover with cold water. Add 2 tablespoons salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain potatoes in a colander.
• Heat milk in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Press the potatoes through a ricer into a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water; stir until smooth. Pour in warm milk in a slow, steady stream, stirring constantly. Stir in butter, and season with salt and pepper