The 1-Ingredient Upgrade for the Fluffiest Mashed Potatoes (It Costs Zero Dollars) (2024)

FAQs

The 1-Ingredient Upgrade for the Fluffiest Mashed Potatoes (It Costs Zero Dollars)? ›

The secret ingredient is just ice-cold water.

Infusing milk or cream with herbs and garlic is a simple but effective way to make a potent flavor difference in mashed potatoes. Combine your preferred dairy with butter in a small saucepan. Add five or six cloves of garlic, cut in half, along with a dozen sprigs of fresh thyme or rosemary.

Unwanted lumps are a result of mashing undercooked potatoes, so the key to avoiding lumps is cooking the potatoes correctly. Make sure that your potatoes are all cut roughly the same size so they cook at the same rate. And unlike pasta, potatoes should be started in cold water.

The best potatoes for mashed potatoes are a starchy varieties like russet, Idaho or Yukon gold. Starchy potatoes are best for mashed potatoes because they have a fluffy, almost airy texture that breaks down easily.

As already discussed, pastiness is caused by too much potato starch being worked into the mashed potatoes. The main way we combat this problem is by rinsing away starch, both before and after cooking potatoes for fluffy mashed potatoes. Rinsing off starch means that there is less of it that can end up in the dish.

You can use what you have on hand: Flour, cornstarch, or powdered milk are all solid options that are probably already in your pantry. Potato flour and potato starch would work as well. Stir in the thickening agent gradually, about a tablespoon at a time, until the potatoes have reached your desired consistency.

The Mistake: Using the Wrong Kind of Potato

Thick-skinned varieties like russets will give you the fluffiest results. Steer clear of waxy red-skinned potatoes, which turn gluey when mashed.

Just a pinch of baking soda is all you need to create mashed potatoes as soft as clouds. When you add baking soda, it reacts with the heat of the dish and the acid in the milk or cream to create small air pockets throughout the mash. These air bubbles translate to light and airy bites. Yum!

I use a ricer or food mill, depending on the quantity I'm making. It gives you smooth, evenly mashed potatoes every time. If you're using a potato masher or a fork, you just need to keep mashing until you've gotten rid of the lumps,adding butter and milk to taste.

Yukon Gold potatoes are the BA team's top pick for classic mashed potatoes. With gold right there in their name, there is no arguing that they're the (ahem!) gold standard for a mash with a creamy, rich texture.

Can you soak potatoes in water before making mashed potatoes? ›

You soak the potatoes in iced water before they are cooked. This eliminates much of the starches in the potatoes, resulting in a super light and fluffy mash. It's also like when you make rice.

Not only do unpeeled potatoes absorb less water and retain more vitamins and nutrients, the peels are usually easier to remove after cooking—just make sure you scrub the skin well first if this is the route you plan to take. That said, you can totally peel the potatoes first if that's what you're most comfortable with.

Those same add-ins—chopped fresh herbs like chives or parsley, chopped cooked bacon, crumbled blue cheese, roasted garlic cloves and so on—will enhance the instant variety as well. Butter (not margarine) is a must, as is sour cream.

Taste before serving: I like to add a scoop of Better then Bouillon chicken base for great flavor, or add more salt and pepper, sour cream, or melted butter, until you reach the flavor you want. nt to add more salt and pepper, or an extra scoop of sour cream, or a little melted butter.

Sliced green onions, roasted red peppers, olive tapenade, caramelized onions, bacon jam, crème fraîche, brown gravy, pulled pork, pesto, sautéed mushrooms, Parmesan cheese, roasted garlic, flavored butters, fresh herbs, and more are all great options when it comes to topping warm mashed potatoes.