Mashed Potato Secrets

If you cook often then you probably have a dish that you are known for making really well. It's rarely anything spectacular but often someothing simple that few people can do better. For me it is Mashed Potatoes. I have no idea how that happened, but slowly and over time it came to be known that I make really great mashed potatoes.  I often get asked how to make them, which is funny to me because it is the easiest thing ever. Because I don't really use a recipe, I'm going to give you the tips and tricks, and you can watch them come together. 

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Wash, Peel, Cut potatoes into cubes. 

Put them into a stock pot ( a big one, not a regular little pot even if you are just making a few) and cover with water. Boil. I guess it is probably like, 15 minutes, until you stick a fork in the potato and it's soft. 

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(here comes a trick)

Drain potatoes and dump them back into the pot. Put it back on the burner on very low heat and begin mashing them.  Yes, mash them over low heat. This is the biggest trick and probably what makes them so good. This is getting all the water out of the potatoes. 

When they are pretty well mashed and seem kind of dry, you can turn the heat off and ad a cubed stick of butter. The amount of butter you use is probably up to you. I use a lot of butter, I use a stick - 1.5 sticks. Melt and mash. 

Good potatoes are all about mashing. 

Now slowly add milk as you continue to mash. 

Continue to mash the potatoes until your arm hurts. 

You can add salt, pepper, garlic powder...etc, whatever you want. I usually just do salt and pepper. I feel like keeping them simple is easiest.  

I don't believe in whipping them. I mash them by hand with a hand masher thing and it really is all about mashing them over low heat and mashing a lot. 

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Try it. Let me know if they were better then your regular mashed potatoes.