Follow This Recipe for Creamy, Delicious Mashed Potatoes

Mashed potatoes are everyone’s favorite side at Thanksgiving dinner. The recipe may look simple and labor intensive, but boil-and-smash is only a little part of the whole process. The good news is that you can prepare it before dinner because it stays fresh for a long time. When it’s time to serve, just warm it and serve it. 

The recipe we are using is easy to make and needs only four ingredients (including salt), but there are some secrets to the method that makes this recipe special. Keep reading to know the secrets of making luscious and creamy mashed potatoes. 

INGREDIENTS

• 10 medium-sized russet potatoes (wash and peel them)
• One cup of hot milk (preferably whole milk)
• Two sticks of softened, not melted, unsalted butter (around 14 tablespoons)
• One and a quarter teaspoon of salt 
• One teaspoon of chopped Parsley for garnishing (optional)

SECRET PRO TIPS

• Always cook your russet potatoes whole. Don’t cook them after chopping them. If you cook potatoes after chopping, the starch content in the potatoes disintegrates, and water seeps inside.
• Using more butter enriches the taste of mashed potatoes. Even if you use less butter, the dish will still turn out well, but we recommend more butter.
• Remember to soften the butter but do not melt it. Melted butter’s flavor differs from softened butter because water evaporates during melting. Softened butter gives a lovely, silky texture while you mix it in your recipe.
• Hot milk mixes more efficiently with the potatoes and also keeps the potatoes warm.
• A potato masher is a must-have for this recipe. They are much better than standing or hand mixers and don’t let potatoes turn gummy. 

RECIPE

Wash the peeled potatoes in cold water. If you have large-sized potatoes, then you can cut them in half. Remove the knots in the potatoes with a spoon or peeler. Fill your pan with water and put potatoes in it (water should cover all the potatoes). Once the water starts boiling, it takes around 22 to 25 minutes for the potatoes to cook completely. Drain the water and transfer boiled potatoes to a bowl for mashing. Mash the potatoes with a potato masher. You will notice a lot of steam coming off them while mashing the potatoes. Keep mashing for about three minutes until all the potato chunks have been mashed. Now add hot milk and mix with a spoon for a while. In the last mashing step, use the potato masher once again to crush until it reaches the desired texture.

Now you’re ready to add the hot milk, gradually add softened butter and keep mixing until the mixture is nice and fluffy. Softened butter will give a silky smooth texture to the mashed potatoes. Finally, add salt and mix it thoroughly. Delicious creamy mashed potatoes are ready to be served. You can garnish it with finely chopped parsley and chives. 

FEW NOTES TO THE RECIPE

• We recommend using sea salt. Depending on your taste, you can also use table salt or season it with garlic or any other flavored salt. Some people also want to add a little black pepper or onion powder for strong seasoning. 
• You can make mashed potatoes ahead of your dinner and keep them warm by covering them with a lid.
• You can also use half and half instead of warm milk. You can add cream cheese to it for a creamy texture.