Pod Coffee Makers 411

Mashed potatoes have been a staple of the dinner table for a very long time and it usually is the most popular dish on the table. Those creamy mounds of potatoes were one of the stars of the show in the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind and they are usually the stars of the show at the Thanksgiving table as well. They are supposed to be creamy and buttery and some cooks pride themselves on how smooth and velvety they are but, most home cooks may leave some lumps in them and they are still absolutely delicious.

Mashed potatoes are a simple recipe consisting of some butter, milk, pepper and salt added to the potatoes or some cooks beef them up with garlic, green onions and cheese. They are versatile as other things can be added such as vegetables, bacon and other cheeses and they can be placed back in the potato skins and baked again for twice baked potatoes.

There are even instant mashed potatoes, although not nearly as tasty as real ones. They haven’t been around all that long either being patented in’62 by Canadian scientist Edward Asselbergs. He invented the process of dehydrating mashed potatoes that is used today even though some earlier methods were patented in’12 and’54. Today we can even go to the grocery store and purchase tubs of real potatoes that have been already mashed for us and all we have to do is heat them up in the microwave.

A method of making mashed potatoes is to just boil them and mash it with a fork adding only butter. People that like this method enjoy the true flavor of the potato and say that processing it in a mixer damages the potato making it too sticky and starchy. Lots of people like that sticky and starchy texture and this is the way they make them. Some people mash with a wire masher first and then add things to the potatoes or they put them in an electric mixer. An old way to make them is to use an old fashion ricer which is a metal basket with holes in it with a handle and blade. You put the potatoes in the basket and turn the handle which moves the blade squishing the potatoes through the small holes in the basket. The bi product can be whipped up easily making a very smooth mashed potato.

To make a simple mashed potato recipe you need to use potatoes suitable for mashing including russet, Idaho or Yukon Gold. You will need to use two and one half pounds potatoes that have been peeled and cut into chunks, one fourth cup of milk, one fourth cup of butter, one half teaspoon of salt, and one half teaspoon of pepper. Put the potatoes in about four quarters of water and start them to boil over high heat. Once they have started to boil cover with a lid. Continue to simmer for 15 or 20 minutes or just pierce the potatoes with a fork to see if they are soft. Drain them and place in a large bowl using a wire masher to squish them or put them in a mixer bowl and start to beat them. Add the milk, the butter, and seasonings and whip until fluffy and smooth. This recipe serves about six people.

If you would like to take your mashed potatoes up a notch try Cheesy Mashed Potatoes that use cream cheese, sour cream and cheddar cheese. You will need the following:8 to 10 potatoes, peeled and cut in chunks (3 pounds or a little more), 8 ounces cream cheese, softened, One half of a 16 ounce carton of sour cream, 6 tablespoons butter, One fourth teaspoon garlic salt, One fourth teaspoon pepper, One half cup shredded Cheddar. Directions are as follows:Place potato chunks in a large pan or Dutch oven and cover with water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium low and boil for about 20 minutes or until potatoes feel soft when poked with a fork. Drain and place potatoes in the mixer bowl. Add the cream cheese, sour cream, and butter and whip. Add garlic salt and pepper and whip until well combined. You can either whip in the cheddar cheese or sprinkle it on top and let it melt a little before serving.

If you are using a wire masher use an up and down motion so that the cells of the potatoes don’t get damaged and become starchy. Butter added to mashed potatoes should always be softened rather then letting it melt while you are making them. If you would like to bring the milk to a simmer before adding to the mashed potatoes they will continue to stay warm and not need to be reheated and they will be silky and creamy. Never let the milk boil however. You can use chicken stock instead of milk to give the mashed potates a different flavor, just watch the salt and taste to make sure they don’t get too salty.

Your family and friends will love having mashed potatoes with dinner just as families have for years and years. You can add bacon, chives, green onions and just about anything else you want or you can serve them plain and simple. You can serve them with just a pat of butter, a dollop of sour cream, sprinkling of cheese, or slather them with gravy. There probably won’t be much left when dinner is over.

Ben likes his potatoes to be mashed. So if you need some delicious mashed potato recipes visit his website that is full of different recipes. He specially recommends his healthy mashed potatoes recipe

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Tags: cooking, Family, food, Food & Beverage, potato, recipe