The Best Mashed Potatoes!!!

We had some friends over and we make THE BEST MASHED POTATOES EVER!!!!

But really though, EVER!

I know this can be a very polarizing subject because there are so many different ways to make mashed potatoes...

• whipped

• chunky

• lumpy

• lump-less

• regular

• creamy

• al dente....(if you know you know)

…and I'm sure the list can go on forever.

So for those of you mashed potato connoisseurs who only like whipped potatoes...let me try to convert you!

Potato Talk

Let's start with the type of potato...

Yukon Gold Potatoes

A buttery almost sweet interior these potatoes have a thin skin & fall between the starchy and waxy potatoes…so they are pretty versatile.

Red Bliss Potatoes

Creamy white flesh, slightly bitter, and have a firm, moist & waxy texture. Not ideal for mashing.

Idaho Potatoes (Russets)

Less ideal for mashing. They don’t love being cooked in water, because their high starch level absorbs a ton of water.

The Method

Wash & Dice

Clean your potatoes under cold water, & dice into equally sized cubes. (The smaller they are the faster they’ll cook. I left the skin on, I like fiber & a little bite…but you can peel them if you’d like.) Place them in a pot with cold water.

Boil

Nothing crazy here…place your pot of diced potatoes in water on the stove & crank the heat. Bring it to a boil, and a good bit of salt to the water (this is how the potatoes are going to gain flavor). Boil until they are almost soft to the touch & a knife slices easily through them.

Cool

Drain the cooked potatoes, place them on a parchment lined sheet tray & allow to cool fully. (Depending on how many potatoes you’ve made you may need more sheet trays, they should  be in a single layer). Once mostly cooked, store them in a bowl over night in the fridge.

The Final Assembly

Place your chilled potatoes in a pot with roasted garlic. (YUM!)

Add cold milk (just enough to cover about 3/4 of the potatoes and cold pieces of butter (about 1/4 to 1/2 stick...depending on how many potatoes you cooked), and room temperature bacon fat* (just warm enough so it is fluid, not solid).

Slowly bring this potato, milk, butter, bacon fat mixture to a simmer. This helps to reheat the potatoes, release some of the potato starch…and thicken the milk.

Once hot, gently mashed the potatoes with a potato masher (or wooden spoon if you don't have a one) until your potatoes are a combination of chunky & smooth.**

Adjust with more milk & butter if you want a softer consistency.

PRO-TIP: Remember, since the potatoes are now hot you will have to heat the milk & butter before adding to the potatoes — the temperature of the ingredients needs to be the same…that’s the secret!

You can also add crispy bacon, fresh herbs (basil, rosemary, thyme...), and/or fresh citrus zest (lemon would work best for fresh pop of flavor).

The Secret Sauce!

You can make this recipe all in one day! The trick is to use ingredients that are all the same temperature! If your potatoes are hot, warm your butter, milk, and bacon fat before you add them!

* Optional but OMG SOO GOOD!

**Don't over mix, this is where your potatoes can go from being the BEST MASHED POTATOES EVER to being glue! Get them to a consistency the majority of the people attending your gathering will enjoy, and then STOP!

LOVE these cooking tips?!

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