My family loves my homemade mashed potatoes. Here's how I get perfect results in less than 15 minutes.

Steven John
·3 min read

  • I've developed the best recipe for mashed potatoes that takes less than 15 minutes to make.

  • My biggest tip is don't over-mash the potatoes — a few chunks are fine.

  • The recipe is simple, but you can add herbs, spices, cheese, bacon, and other garnishes.

I've loved mashed potatoes since I was a kid, but it wasn't until well into adulthood that I realized how simple they are to make.

After years of practice in the kitchen, here's my quick and easy recipe for perfect mashed potatoes.

The ingredients couldn't be simpler.

ingredients for mashed potatoes on a counter
My mashed potatoes come together with six ingredients.Steven John

My recipe uses just six ingredients, and two of those are water and salt.

The rest are russet potatoes (though other varieties work fine), butter, sour cream, and milk.

Peel and dice the potatoes, leaving some skin on if you want.

peeled and diced potatoes on a cutting board
I like the texture the potato skin adds.Steven John

I like a bit if the skins left on my potatoes, so after scrubbing the spuds, I stripe them with a food peeler.

Then, I chop them into cubes a bit smaller than an inch. Don't worry about perfect uniformity — as long as none are significantly larger than the rest, they'll cook evenly enough.

Boil the potato chunks in salted water.

chunks of potatoes boiling in water
The potatoes cook faster when they're in smaller chunks.Steven John

Bring just enough water to fully cover the potatoes to a boil, and go heavy with the salt to add some flavor. You could even boil them in broth to up the ante.

I made two medium-sized potatoes in a medium-sized pot, and 2 cups of water did the trick.

Cook the potatoes at a full boil just until you can easily break the chunks in half with a fork. That may happen in as little as six minutes and rarely takes more than seven.

You don't want to overcook the potatoes, so err on the side of caution.

Drain the potatoes, then add butter, sour cream, and milk.

hand spooning sour cream into a pot of potato chunks
The sour cream adds a nice tang.Steven John

I like to lightly drain the potatoes with a strainer — leaving a bit of that salty, starchy water in the pot is a good thing.

Next, toss in about 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 teaspoons of sour cream. The sour cream is optional, but I recommend it for the best flavor and texture.

For the milk, start with about ½ cup, but don't overdo it. You can always add more as needed if the potatoes aren't coming together well, but you can't take it back.

Then, it's time to mash.

hand mashing potatoes in a pot
I use a potato masher for the best results.Steven John

Ideally, I like to use a dedicated food masher for my potatoes, but you can also use a large fork, a slotted spoon, or another similar tool.

Mash until there are no visible potato chunks left — there may be a few bits and pieces here and there — but don't overdo it.

The more you mash, the more starch is released from the potatoes, which can lead to a gummy, unpleasant consistency.

Serve the potatoes as is, or dress them up.

pot of mashed potatoes
My family will eat the potatoes straight out of the pot.Steven John

The potatoes are good as is, but you can also dress them up in dozens of ways.

Some of my family's classic additions include shredded cheddar cheese, green onions, bacon bits, pepper, and more butter.

However, the world is really your oyster here — use up whatever you have in the fridge.

Read the original article on Business Insider

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