Best of Maria’s Kitchen: Mashed Potatoes from Scratch

howtomakemashedpotatoes

Guess what? Maria's Farm Country Kitchen turns 6 years old this month! And I just realized that in those six years I've shared almost 200 recipes!

One of the reasons I started this blog in 2008 was to have a place to collect all of my recipes. And now that we're rounding the corner on 200, I thought it would be fun to revisit a couple of fan favorites.

Today, I'm resharing the most popular recipe on my blog: Quick Mashed Potatoes from Scratch. Seriously, every day there are people coming by to check out how to make mashed potatoes!

I posted this originally because when I was much, much younger, I used to make instant mashed potatoes. But then I figured out that making mashed potatoes from scratch was just as easy and so much more delicious. It's so easy I didn't blog about it until last year (when I realized that some of you might want to know). Use this recipe to make a quick, delicious, and comforting side dish for a weeknight dinner or as an essential part of an epic family dinner.

These basic portions are for a small group; scale up accordingly!

Quick Mashed Potatoes from Scratch

Ingredients:

  • 4 large potatoes, peeled perfectly (no spots or skin!!)

  • 1/3 cup whole milk

  • 4 Tablespoons butter

  • Salt


Directions:

  1. Cut potatoes into small pieces and boil. If the potatoes have "eyes" (they've sprouted) or bad spots, just cut them off.

  2. Drain the water and mash the potatoes with a hand masher.

  3. Add milk and butter and continue to mash.

  4. Add milk as needed to get the right consistency, depending on the type of potato--some need more milk and some need less. Start with less and add more as needed.

  5. Depending on your love of butter, some potatoes need more butter or less. You can substitute olive oil for the butter, if you wish. YOU are the boss!

  6. Salt to taste, and enjoy!



Stop back again on Wednesday for another fan favorite: Crispy Roast Chicken and Gravy--the perfect match for mashed potatoes.


For more from Maria Rodale, visit www.mariasfarmcountrykitchen.com