The Best Instant Mashed Potato Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How can you make instant mashed potatoes taste better? ›

Add Heft with Dairy. Heavy cream can make instant mashed potatoes taste indulgent. Half and half or even regular milk (whole is better than skim, but 2% will do) adds extra creaminess. To give your mashed potatoes a light tanginess, go with buttermilk or sour cream.

Pour 1 c (240 mL) of water and 0.5 c (120 mL) of milk into a large microwave-safe bowl. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon (1 g) of salt and 1 1/2 tablespoons (21 g) of butter or margarine. Substitute the milk with chicken stock, vegetable stock, or extra water for a dairy-free option.

Note: For a creamier mashed potato, stir in additional hot water or milk. Less salt can be added if desired. Note: All microwaves vary and heating times may have to be adjusted.

Garlic and herbs are added to boost flavor

Instead of boiling a few potatoes and mashing them plain, a lot of restaurant chefs like to apply a little more finesse. Garlic and herbs infused in butter and cream add a flavor boost without overpowering.

Extra Salt

You should be salting the boiling water and the potatoes after cooking. You can also lean on seasoning salts like Tony Chacheres, for additional flavor and salt. For a fun twist, try adding a dollop of white miso to your next batch of mashed potatoes; it's not only salty, but savory.

For mashed potatoes that are smooth without being gummy, a potato ricer is your best bet. It gently presses the potato into fine pieces, so all that's left to do is add your liquid and a pat or two of butter.

For a quick and delicious instant mashed potatoes recipe, all you have to do is simply add your potato flakes to hot water, gently fluff with a fork and serve. Whipping up a batch of tasty mashed potatoes just got a whole lot easier!

Runny potatoes can happen for a few different reasons. Too much liquid: This is the most common reason. In the mashing process you may have added too much milk or broth. Boiled too long: Boiling your potatoes for too long can make them water-logged, which (you guessed it) can contribute to runny mashed potatoes.

Add a Thickening Agent

This is the most common way to thicken mashed potatoes. You can use what you have on hand: Flour, cornstarch, or powdered milk are all solid options that are probably already in your pantry. Potato flour and potato starch would work as well.

As already discussed, pastiness is caused by too much potato starch being worked into the mashed potatoes. The main way we combat this problem is by rinsing away starch, both before and after cooking potatoes for fluffy mashed potatoes. Rinsing off starch means that there is less of it that can end up in the dish.

Is it OK to eat expired Idahoan instant mashed potatoes? ›

We do not recommend using our product past the Best By Date as the potatoes will start to break down affecting taste, texture and the overall quality of the product. In some rare cases the potatoes can also spoil.

Idahoan Foodservice

With tangy sour cream, cheese, onion, chives, and the taste of butter and bacon, Idahoan® Loaded Baked® Mashed Potato Cups pack the punch of the ultimate baked potato.

Use whole milk for the creamiest results. Sour cream – Technically, this ingredient is optional. If you skip it, the recipe will still come out great. But for the best mashed potatoes, I highly recommend folding it in!

Flaked instant mashed potatoes are most commonly found in stores in the United States, Mexico and Canada. Granulated forms are generally reserved more for institutional or restaurant use.

Sour cream, butter, and Parmesan are all you need

The Barefoot Contessa places her mashed potatoes in a bowl over simmering water, and when heated through, she stirs in sour cream, Parmesan cheese, butter, salt, and pepper. These added flavors bring these already seasoned spuds to a new level of life.

Taste before serving: I like to add a scoop of Better then Bouillon chicken base for great flavor, or add more salt and pepper, sour cream, or melted butter, until you reach the flavor you want. nt to add more salt and pepper, or an extra scoop of sour cream, or a little melted butter.

For additional flavor, add some fresh herbs, such as chives, parsley, thyme or rosemary to the mashed potatoes after mashing them. You can also add some buttermilk, cream cheese or sour cream for a bit of a tangy, creamy flavor. Another great addition to mashed potatoes is to use flavored butter.

The bad news with gluey mashed potatoes is that there's no real way to fix them. Once you've incorporated that excess starch into the mix, you can't take it out.