Mash potato.....How much ??

lynn_glenmont wrote: »

lemurcat2 wrote: »

I also don't make them that often -- pretty much standard for a holiday meal for me, but other than that I'm much more likely to have roasted potatoes if I have potatoes.

Because I have them on holidays, I typically have as much as I like, and don't measure. I often do use the half cauliflower trick, since I think it actually adds a nice flavor. I don't usually have milk on hand, so will use just butter or butter and sour cream (sour cream is a great addition, so if I have it I use it). I add it to hot boiled potatoes (skin on) and then just mash them. Garlic can be a nice addition too, but requires more fuss and usually I have many other things going on and like the potatoes to be simple.

For the garlic, you can just smash a few cloves at the outset to get the skin off (or use a garlic press, or whatever your preferred method of getting the cloves separated from the skin is) and toss them in the boiling water with the potatoes at the outset. No need to try to fish them out when you drain the potatoes. This will give you a mild garlic flavor for what (to me) seems like a bare minimum of fuss.

That makes sense. Thanks.

I found a good option that's a big step up from the instant packets, but still quick and convenient if you don't have time to mash your own potatoes. Trader Joe's sells frozen mashed potatoes that are pretty good...I add milk, butter, and chives to them and they're great. They look really weird, because they are like little frozen potato pucks until you heat them.

paperpudding wrote: »

Instant packet mashed potatoes aren't a thing much here in Australia- you can buy them but they are not much used.
I dont recall ever buying them myself.

If one says one is having mashed potatoes the assumption would be actual cooked potatoes mashed - usually with milk and butter but some variations on this

I could be wrong, but I don't think they're particularly common in the US for a nice sit down meal or Sunday dinner, etc. I don't know anyone personally who uses instant mash potatoes on a regular basis. I use them primarily when I'm camping because it's just quick and easy. I ate that kind of stuff in general more when I was in college and had limited cooking skills and/or too lazy to peel some spuds, boil, and mash. There was a time when I did practically live on instant mash potatoes and instant bread crumb dressing like Stove Top...but it was pretty short lived. I taught myself to cook because I was broke and wanted to impress my dates...and Stove Top Stuffing and instant mash potatoes don't go very far in that regard...

Well, not me.

I have it as part of a main meal, as a side veg, with various other main meal components.