How To Make Mashed Potatoes

One of the most versatile of foods is the simple potato. It can be cooked in many different ways -- baked, fried, barbequed, or boiled.

However, none of those ways is as appealing as mashed potatoes. A dish of mashed potatoes is the ultimate in comfort food, bringing back memories of childhood and Sunday dinner with your family. Mashed potatoes go with most main dishes without overpowering them.

Russet and Yukon Gold potatoes are best for mashing since they have more starch than other potatoes; they make your mashed potatoes fluffier and creamier. You can make the potatoes as plain or as fancy as you want, according to your taste and to the dish you are serving them with. How many potatoes you use depends on how many people you wish to serve. I find that one potato per person is usually enough.

1. Wash the potatoes thoroughly.
2. Peel the potatoes and cut them into quarters.
3. Place the potatoes in a medium-sized saucepan and add enough cold water to cover the potatoes. Place the saucepan on the stove and turn the burner on to high.
4. Add 1 teaspoon of salt to the water.
5. Put a lid on the saucepan but don’t cover it completely -- leave room for the steam to escape.
6. Bring the potatoes to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and cook until the potatoes are soft, which is usually about 20 or 30 minutes.
7. Drain the water out of the saucepan, leaving the potatoes in the pan.
8. Stir in a tablespoon of butter or margarine. You can also use sour cream.
9. Stir in a quarter cup of cream or milk. You can use chicken broth instead, to give the potatoes more flavor.
10. Mash the potatoes until there are no lumps remaining, using either a hand potato masher or an electric hand mixer. Some people prefer hand-mashed potatoes, finding those that are whipped with a mixer to be too sticky and therefore not as appealing.
11. Garnish the mashed potatoes with your favorite garnish such as bacon bits, garlic, or cheese.
12. Serve them while they are still hot.

You can buy packages of instant mashed potatoes that just require you to add water and stick in the microwave for a couple of minutes. They are actually quite good. Instant mashed potatoes have come a long way since how I remember them in the seventies. Then they came in flakes that tasted about as good as the box they came in. However, there is nothing as good as home-made mashed potatoes.