Mashed potato is a very well-known staple food, it is loved by all and since it is more or less a puree it is a special treat for youngsters. There are a lot of ways to get your mashed potatoes and a lot of dishes that can go with it.
Unlike most people like you and I, OK, forgive me for speaking for you, am not really a mashed potato die-hard fan, but you will agree that there is no excuse for any cook not to know how to pull off a head-turning mashed potato meal and cook it deliciously.
You might like to use the popular Potato masher (also known as Bean masher or Pea masher or Crusher) to squash your potatoes, but I find it easier to use a Potato ricer or just Ricer to squash my potatoes some people even use an electric hand whisk.
I would generally not advice anyone to use an electric whisk or hand whisk to squash potatoes, yes it is a lot faster but potatoes are glutinous thus when you over work it, too much starch is released and it turns into a gluey, unpleasing, gummy chunk which in my opinion is not good for youngsters.
Tips to look out for when mashing your potatoes
- Underdraining: The best way to avoid this is to turn out the potatoes into a colander to drain the water which is the best method.
- Over mashing/over working: Like I explained earlier this would cause them to become too gummy.
- Cooking them in parboiled water: Potatoes are tubers thus it takes careful preparation for it to be boiled completely. Dipping them in hot water would cause the outer part to break before the inside gets boiled.
- Using the wrong type of potatoes: I personally like the Russets as they have just the right amount of starch. Too little starch would result in a gummy paste.
- Using unsalted water: You might still remember the law of diffusion from school days, well, that law comes into play when you dip any tuber such as potatoes in unsalted water, your potatoes unnecessarily absorbs the water and becomes soggy, over mushy, and bland.
Mashed Potato recipes to go for
1. Rustic Garlic Mashed Potatoes
This recipe by Better Homes and Gardens makes use of garlic and even the chicken is roasted with garlic.
There is a video embedded in the site to give you a direct guidance to assist you with preparing it yourself. Follow it to the T and you will get the desired result.
2. Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Kale and Boursin Cheese
This recipe actually makes use of two different types of potatoes.
One is the usual Yukon Gold potatoes and the other is sweet potatoes. This quick and easy recipe by A Family Feast is simply great and the end look is inviting. Have a swing.
3. Loaded Mashed Potato Spider Web Casserole
This is a beautiful kiddie Halloween treat. I found this Amazing recipe and I know it would do just fine.
The ingredients are easy to get (apart from the toy spider) and it explains everything in detail including how to make the creamy web. If you are used to cake making the web should be a walk through.
Candy Mashed Potatoes
Who gets tired of a bit of old school mashed candy potatoes? Definitely not me, I can say that this is one recipe that reminds me of just how much mashed potatoes I had as a kid and it is a good way to give your kids the potatoes treat in candy form.
This recipe by What’s cooking America explains it as it should be, although it makes use of a lot of flavouring, you can reduce or increase with the use of your discretion.
Side dishes to go with your Mashed Potatoes
1. Chicken Kiev
What better to go with mashed potatoes than a well-prepared bowl of chicken? Chicken Kiev works well with most types of mashed potatoes except maybe for the potato candy.
The chicken is buttered and coated with bread crumbs and this recipe by Jamie Oliver did it all in moderation, so you are not left wondering what amount of which becomes too much, give it a try and see how it goes for you.
Other chicken kiev recipes
2. Shrimp and Grits Dressing
If you have no issues with taking your mashed potatoes with a side dish that also comes in a fairly mashed or pasty form then this is for you. I got this perfect recipe by My recipes and it came out beautifully in the end, I made mine quite thick so it made a lovely pair with my mashed potatoes and the taste was an equal blessing.
3. Chilaquiles Casserole
This dish offers a very good option for a high cholesterol side dish with your mashed potatoes which contains a lot of starch on its own.
The recipe by Eating well made the preparation time faster and ensured the flavour in the ingredients were well preserved so it should sit well with any kind of mashed potato you have in mind, if you value healthy eating combinations then this should be your first choice.
All Done!!
Always keep in mind that the amount of starch involved in any mashed potato dish is quite high, that will help you make proper combinations and preparation choices in order to get just the right amount of nutrients you need and not excess.
It is also important that you channel your preparation according to the kind of potato you intend cooking with, some potato types require a lot more mashing or boiling time than some others so be sure to follow the tips discussed above and cook according to what is available to you.
There are a lot more mashed potato recipes so if you have made any that you think is worth sharing with me, feel free to do so, I am eager to hear your thoughts and tryouts on mashed potatoes so keep it coming!
