I boil russet potatoes that have been cut into large chunks until they are done. I drain the water and add about 1/2" of half & half or milk to the pan of potatoes and heat the liquid gently, then add a huge hunk of butter. After all is melted and heated I mash the potatoes with a hand masher, adding more liquid if necessary. Salt and pepper as liked.

(I'm getting rather tired of foods being over-flavored, sauced, cheesed, and herbed. I'm afraid I've gone back to more basic flavored food.)

When I make mashed potatoes, I cut my potatoes into chunks and boil then like westelle, but I add the butter to the drained potatoes first and then add the milk or cream if I have it on hand, otherwise it is just milk. Then mash them with the hand masher. Salt and pepper are added by each person according to their wants. Hubby isn't supposed to have a lot of sodium now so we don't salt anything until it is on the plate for eating.

I use Russet Potatoes 99% of the time. The other one percent I use Yukon golds. And I always rice the potatoes. Much easier to mash after they have been riced. Just add the hot cream or milk, butter and mix. Season with salt and pepper. Add some roasted garlic or fresh minced chives. Or just top with rich gravy.

Thank you everyone! Unfortunately, I think it must be me because this is very much the way I do the potatoes, except that I don't have a ricer.

Ann, I had made your salisbury steak with the wonderful gravey and the gravey was the only thing that saved them.

I cut back a little on the cooking time and even 'dried' them of excess water by putting them back in the warm pot after draining. But they still had a watery taste. I think I've just gotten too used to cheese!!

Beth

Beth....I wonder if you over cooked the potatoes? They can absorb water...

Overcooked the potatoes and added too much liquid. If you just add skim milk, the result can be too watery too. Some good quality fat is needed for the mouth-feel, I think.

Am I the only person who likes the chunky style mashed potatoes with the skins on?

I scrub russetts or yukon golds well, then boil in salted water until just tender, and drain. Then I heat milk and butter (although sometimes I use buttermilk if I want something more tangy) and S&P, then use the hand masher. Sometimes I put just a wee bit of sharp paprika on top.

We used to have a neighbor who never met a dairy product she didn't like. They invited us to a cook-out once, and I watched her make her mashed potatoes. I kid you not, for a large bowl of potatoes, she used an entire POUND of butter, a pint of heavy cream, and a half pint of sour cream, then served it with more sour cream. I could feel my arteries clogging up just watching it. Yes, they were good, but after a spoonful, you just passed out from the richness.

On ATK last week-end, they made mashed potatoes, and they used Yukon Gold. They peeled them, cut them into 1" cubes, and then steamed them for 10 minutes. Then they ran cold water over them to get rid of starch that had accumulated and steamed them again for 15 minutes. After that, they put them through a ricer (They recommend the RSVP brand) and then added the butter and milk. Personally, I don't make them this way, although I do use Yukon Golds, but I don't peel them and I don't steam them. I also never add milk but instead use the potato water from cooking or else chicken broth. I don't like salt on potatoes either, as that masks the potato flavor, but I do like butter and freshly ground black pepper. I'm perfectly fine with chunky potatoes - they do not need to be puréed or fully mashed for me. I also prefer to have the skins on, unless they are russet potatoes, which I never buy anyway. I only buy thin skinned potatoes, but potatoes are not a staple for me, although I have been trying to use more of them lately.

I think baked potatoes make very good mashed potatoes, especially if you use russets, and then you don't have to peel them until you are ready to mash them. Also, with the skins on, the starch molecules do not accumulate and the potatoes remain fluffy. It just takes longer to bake them than to steam or boil them.

Lars

Our favorite mashed potatoes are sinful so we have them only once or twice a year. Yukons or Russets, peeled and cooked until tender. Butter, salt, pepper, cream cheese, and sour cream. Hand mash. Serve. Swoon.

From the Silver Palette Good Times Cookbook. Thanksgiving Potatoes recipe.

If the pieces of potato are too small before you boil them, that can make them watery too. The cut surfaces are what absorb the water, so the smaller the pieces, the more water absorbed.

I like all different kinds of potatoes mashed. They all have their own flavors and textures. My husband and I like the peels left on unless I'm using the larger russets that tend to have thicker, tougher skins. I run the knife around the potatoes, pre-slicing the skin into a small crosshatch so that the skin pieces won't be too large and then cut them into large chunks, it's hard to describe size, but if you can imagine potato chunks that are about 1/4 to 1/3 cup in individual size.

Then I bring them to a boil, and reduce the heat so that they are cooked at a fast simmer rather than a rolling boil. When they're tender, but before their edges begin to crumble, I drain them, mash with a hand masher (blenders and whisks tend to get the gluten going, which makes them feel sticky) and mash in butter and milk. Sometimes sour cream instead of milk, with a dollop of horseradish. I add pepper, but generally leave salt for table use.

I almost always make garlic mashed potatoes--potatoes, whole clove garlic, water to cover and a little milk. Cook until tender, pour off most of water, reserving about 1/4 cup. Mash potatoes and garlic clove, add reserved water and more milk and butter. MMMMM.

I boil the potatoes whole with skins on. When they are knife tender I toss in butter, sour cream, roasted garlic and go to town with a hand masher. Oh my - I am feeling a mashed Potato frenzy coming on!

Alexa

Beth,

TIMING is important to avoid too watery mashed potatoes.

Boiling too long will yield too much water.
Boiling to short of time will yield hard-to-mash spuds.

I play with the time and keep records to get the right timing.

I cut a russett into maybe six pieces and timing from start with cold water, it takes 14 minutes.

Good luck,

Sue Ellen

Beanthere, no you are not the only person that likes "lumpy" mashed potatoes. My DH does also. I just like potatoes so it doesn't matter to me.
We like yukon gold or red skinned potatoes, boiled until tender with the skins on. After draining I put them back on the burner to dry a little and then add milk, butter, cream cheese, s&p and a generous sprinkle of Mrs. Dash amd mash with a hand masher. I started using Mrs. Dash years ago when I was trying to lower my salt use and now I always use it on or in potatoes.

I use either russets, yukon gold or red skinned potatoes - whatever's cheapest! I usually cut the potatoes into either 2, 4 or 6 pieces, depending on how big it is, then boil. Drain and mash with a potato masher - one of those squiggly things. Then add butter, I don't know how much, depends on how many potatoes I made I guess. Once the butter is melted, I pour in some milk. I like them to be creamy so LOTS of milk. Add salt and serve.

I like 'em chunky with the skins. I like 'em skinless and whipped smooth. I like 'em any ol' which way. Except for leaving on the skins (which I do no matter what kind of potatoes I use) I make 'em pretty much the same way my mother did.

I, too, use whatever I have, which are usually the cheapest - red, gold, russet. I peel russet & yellow, don't peel the reds at all. Cut the potatoes into chunks, cover with water, add salt, boil till done, pour out the water. Mash a little with hand=held mixer. Add milk first, mix, add butter, mix again.

Yes, I mash mine with a hand-held mixer right in the pot. I use my masher for other things (beans), never potatoes, and I don't own a ricer or food mill. Mashing potatoes is the only thing I use the hand-held mixer for, and I wouldn't trade it for love nor money. It takes just a minute or two to have smooth, creamy, lump-free potatoes with the mixer, piping hot.

I've read all the reasons why my method is wrong, but, believe me, folks, it's right. And easy. Why, I bet no one, not even Christopher Kimball himself, could tell the difference between the way I mash potatoes with the mixer and riced or "mashed" potatoes, and I might even win in a taste test. So there!

Sherry, the best mashed potato maker in ten counties! (I bet)

Sherry you make your mashed potatoes just like I do. I only use russets though. I don't want it chunky and I don't want peelings in. I also do not want all that funky stuff in it, just milk, butter, salt and no pepper in it, just on top in the serving bowl.

Sue

Thank all of you again for your responses - they're a big help giving me something to experiment with. Funny how you do something for so many years just fine and then all of sudden it's not working. I do believe that I changed a couple of things without even thinking about it. Size of cut potato and using 'fork' tender instead of knife!!

And Sherry, I'm with you on the little red potatoes!

Beth

I use evaporated milk instead of milk.

Boil the potatoes (in salted water), drain, melt butter into the evaporated milk, hand mash, stir in milk/butter.

I have been guilty of overcooking and getting too much water into the potatoes. Hate when that happens....

My dad always salted the potato water... said it made the taters firmer. Seemed strange to me to want a firm potato to mash.

Mostly I opened this thread because I had some very good mashed potatoes last month. A gal friend put a sweet potato in with her mashed potatoes and they were so good that way. I love mashed potatoes with other veggies mixed in and that hit the spot.

I most often boil Michigan potatoes. Munger a small town on the other side of the county has a potato festival complete with potato queen (LOL... better then being the Bean Queen from the bean fest in Fairgrove). Anyways lots of local grown potatoes. I think they compare with the Russet only smaller with a bit thinner skin.

I scrub my potatoes with a scotch pad. It gets them clean and minor blemishes scrub right off. Sometimes I want them skinless but most of the time I go for skins and all. I boil them whole unless there is a huge one which I'll cut to match the others in size (so they are all done at the same time). If I'm making gravy I'll reserve a couple cups of potato water otherwise I just drain. A gob of butter, a splash of milk (canned because I don't keep fresh milk) and then I take after them with a hand masher. I prefer the wavy style over the grate mashers. I work with steel at the factory so I have plenty of hand strength and can mash a pot full in seconds.

Sometimes I sub plain yogurt for the milk. Gives them a tiny bit of a tang which goes well with potato flavor. A nice low fat variation for those that like the sour cream type mashed potatoes.

I need to do a bag of potatoes. Being single I just cook a whole 5-10lbs and keep them in gallon ziplock baggies. A very quick meal/snack reheated in the microwave with butter and horseradish for a topping.

My sisters always loved mashed potatoes with the watery juice from a boiled dinner for "gravy". A memory from childhood is of them perched on barstools gobbling down a plateful. They never sat on the stool but perched like birds.

: )
lyra

I never buy russets - it's reds for me, or Yukons if the price is right. I peel the reds, since they are often blemished over the winter, and it's easier to get rid of those when the peel is off. Cut into 1" - 1 1/2" chunks.

Boil in salted water until knife tender (about 20 minutes), drain (save the potato water for gravy, or bread), set on hot burner to dry a bit before adding butter and mashing with manual masher. Using a wooden spoon, stir in enough milk to achieve desired consistency. I don't see the point of using real cream unless I have some that might go to waste otherwise. The addition of roasted garlic is nice, but cheese is unnecessary. I mean, I love cheese, but it doesn't have to be in everything!

Heres ny theroy...every 2 1/2 pounds potato....1 block philly cram cheese 1 stick butter through a ricer...and repeat for evry 2.5 pounds

I boil in salted water until tender. Drain and put potatoes in mixing bowl.

Heat milk until very hot but not boiling.

Beat potatoes with mixer until smooth. Add hot milk a little at a time until desired consistancy. Then beat a little more.

Add butter and dig in.

When I make/eat mashed potatoes, I want mashed POTATOES, not a bunch of milk, cream cheese or other additive cover-ups. Mashed potatoes need gravy and need to be firm. And no lumps. If I want potato chunks then I just make boiled potatoes. Milk, sour cream, butter can all be added at the table if you don't put gravy on. And no soupy mashed potatoes either. If they don't mound, they're slush and not to be eaten.

Mine are simple.

Boil red or russets with salt. I don't time or worry. I do them both with and without skins.

They should be soft.

I drain. Throw in a bunch of butter (depending upon my current level of health concern)- let sit while doing other things.

When about to serve - hand mash and put in milk (whatever is on hand).

Always well loved, eaten and easy.

Adele

just boil potatoes then mashed it add butter on it all done
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I think last week or the week before, I saw some guy on the food network making mashed potatoes; could have been Alton.

Listen to this - he boiled the potatoes in MILK and HEAVY CREAM. Then drained them, pouring the hot milk into a bowl, mashed them up with butter, salt, pepper, and then added the milk he used to cook the potatoes in, to the mashed potatoes; not all of it, just enough to make them creamy.

No way these could taste watery. I'd like to try it.

I found the recipe! It wasnt Alton Brown, it was Tyler Florence. Here is the link to his mashed potatoes cooked in milk and cream....

Here is a link that might be useful: cooking taters in milk/cream

Shaun, if you try that, let us know how it turns out! They do sound a little decadent...

I think there's a lot of mashed potato lovers out here.

Thanks, Beth

Shaun and Beth, I've made them, and they are out of this world! However, I included several cloves of garlic in the milk/cream and left them in while mashing (with my electric, hand-held mixer, of course!) They are no more trouble than the way you ordinarily make mashed potatoes, but waayy too heavy on the cream and butter for everyday. They're wonderful, though!

Sherry

I haven't made mashed potatoes for a while since we tend to eat too much potato when they're mashed.
But when I do/did make them I prefer them a little lumpy, as the too smooth texture reminds me of boxed potato puré or cafeteria food.

We don't get Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes here, so we use King Edwards grown locally and steam them, add a little evaporated milk, butter, salt & pepper and hand mash until they are the texture we like, a little lumpy and fairly dry. Now for his health I use olive oil drizzled on Wolf's potatoes rather than butter.

Slightly OT...Beanthere.....we also love the little local

The inside of the potato is a golden yellow and the flavour is incredibly good. I just bought a handful of them the other day.

SharonCb

Potatoes are my favorite vegetable so long as I don't have to eat them baked. Actually I like mashed potatoes made from baked ones, however that takes too long. I like mashed potatoes made from Kennebec or Yukon Gold potatoes by far the best.

I cut my potatoes in pieces larger than diced, boil in salted water until done, drain well, put back in the original cooking pot, place on the stove and let sizzle to dry them out even more. Then I mash with a hand potato masher first, add heated whole milk and butter, salt and pepper and use my hand held mixer to mix right in the warm pot. I don't own a ricer. I can't stand a single lump in them and even though I love potato skins, I don't want them in my mashed potatoes. Also, no buttermilk, etc. Just plain potatoes please. Of course I don't mind a little garlic or cheese once in a while. Now I'm absolutely craving mashed potatoes and they are one thing I really don't like to make.