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Mashed potatoes have been a staple of the dinner table for a very long time and it usually is the most popular dish on the table. Those creamy mounds of potatoes were one of the stars of the show in the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind and they are usually the stars of the show at the Thanksgiving table as well. They are supposed to be creamy and buttery and some cooks pride themselves on how smooth and velvety they are but, most home cooks may leave some lumps in them and they are still absolutely delicious.

Mashed potatoes are easy to make with butter, milk, and seasonings and they can be made differently with garlic, onions, and cheese. There are a few recipes that are less than simple with bacon, and gourmet cheese added then they are re-baked in the oven to make twice baked potatoes. They do not look much like regular mashed potatoes but are just as delicious.

Instant potatoes are available but they may not taste as good as real ones. Edward Asselbergs, a Canadian scientist patented the process that makes them in’62. He developed a way to dehydrate potatoes and a way to rehydrate and use them in today’s home. There were some early methods patented in’12 and’54 but they didn’t't work as well. Today we don’t have to use instant potatoes but can get tubs or already made mashed potatoes that just have to be heated up in the microwave.

There are some purists that think you should boil a potato and then just mash it with a fork to make mashed potatoes. They say that if you put it in a food processor or mixer the potato cells are damaged releasing their starch making them very sticky however, many kids grew up enjoying those sticky potatoes and make them that way today. The methods of making mashed potatoes differ from household to household from peeling, boiling, and mashing the potatoes with a wire potato masher to baking them in the oven removing the skin and putting them into the electric mixer. In the old days people used a ricer to make smooth potatoes. A ricer is a large sieve like looking thing with a handle connected to a blade. You turn the handle and it squished the potato through the little holes in the body of the apparatus making little worm like potato threads. These can be whipped up with other additives to make a velvety textured mashed potato.

Use russet, Idaho or Yukon Gold potatoes to get the best results when mashing them. To make a simple mashed potato boil two and half pounds of peeled chunked potatoes in 4 quarters of water. After they start to boil just reduce the heat and let them simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until they seem soft when poked with a fork. Drain the potatoes and put them in a bowl and mash them with a wire masher or put them in a mixer bowl and beat them for a few minutes. Add one fourth cup of milk, one fourth cup of butter, one half teaspoon salt and one half teaspoon pepper and mix well. This will feed 6 people

If you would like to take your mashed potatoes up a notch try Cheesy Mashed Potatoes that use cream cheese, sour cream and cheddar cheese. You will need the following:8 to 10 potatoes, peeled and cut in chunks (3 pounds or a little more), 8 ounces cream cheese, softened, One half of a 16 ounce carton of sour cream, 6 tablespoons butter, One fourth teaspoon garlic salt, One fourth teaspoon pepper, One half cup shredded Cheddar. Directions are as follows:Place potato chunks in a large pan or Dutch oven and cover with water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium low and boil for about 20 minutes or until potatoes feel soft when poked with a fork. Drain and place potatoes in the mixer bowl. Add the cream cheese, sour cream, and butter and whip. Add garlic salt and pepper and whip until well combined. You can either whip in the cheddar cheese or sprinkle it on top and let it melt a little before serving.

If you are using a wire masher use an up and down motion so that the cells of the potatoes don’t get damaged and become starchy. Butter added to mashed potatoes should always be softened rather then letting it melt while you are making them. If you would like to bring the milk to a simmer before adding to the mashed potatoes they will continue to stay warm and not need to be reheated and they will be silky and creamy. Never let the milk boil however. You can use chicken stock instead of milk to give the mashed potates a different flavor, just watch the salt and taste to make sure they don’t get too salty.

Everyone will enjoy your mashed potatoes along with dinner just as they have for many years before. Add bacon, green onions or chives and many different things to make them different every time you serve them. You can place butter or sour cream on top, or try cheese and the every popular gravy. There will never be left overs of mashed potatoes after dinner

Ben likes his potatoes mashed. So if you want to find some delicious recipes for mashed potatoes visit his website that is full of different recipes. He specially recommends his healthy mashed potatoes recipe

Technorati Tags: cooking, family, food, potato, recipe

Tags: cooking, family, food, potato, recipe