Mashed potato - basic staple or too much effort?

[NoblyBobly]

I was at a social event this morning with a mix of age ranges. We were chatting about what everyone was having for their main meal (dinner/lunch/tea/supper). I mentioned we were having a quick meal tonight of sausage and mash along with some mushroom, onion and courgette.
I was really surprised that so many said they love mash but it's too much effort..........
I consider boiling a few spuds as minimal effort and an everyday basic food. am I out of touch?

I live in a different country and have never seen frozen mash.

Just make a big pan full once. It keeps well in the fridge

This thread is an eye opener. I make mash for the DC as a side for their tea once or twice a week. Surely it's one of the easiest way to serve potatoes? Boiled baby potatoes or baby potatoes in the air fryer are easier but we mix it up.
They often have had pasta at lunch so I feel that only leaves potatoes, couscous or rice to accompany their tea.

I call skin on mash “crushed potatoes” 🤣🤣🤣

I love mash but never make it because I do find it a right faff! Frozen mash is a staple in this house!

Make double or triple quantities, mash freezes really well and heats up in the microwave.

Stick potatoes with skin on through the ricer, skin stays behind.

Now I have discovered frozen mash its an easy dinner!

Too much faff , and I don't really like it .. prefer to chop up spuds and bung them in air fryer or oven as wedges

I love it and it's not too much effort at all. It's very straightforward. Sadly I do feel that people have become very lazy when it comes to cooking.

Mash is a bit of a pain. Especially if cooking for more people, a lot of peeling. I do cook it but it pissea me off a bit

I wouldn't describe sausage mash and veggies as a quick tea, it's just a standard meal.

This ^^ life is way too short to make mash potato when you can use microwavable mash and it tastes exactly the same.

You need a potato ricer. No need to peel.
https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/idealisk-potato-press-stainless-steel-76114285/

I peel the potatoes sometimes in the morning when I'm prepping breakfast and then just sit them in a pan of cold water ready for boiling later.

I don't find it too much of a faff but I don't consider it a super quick tea.

Mash is a bit of a pain. Especially if cooking for more people, a lot of peeling.

It's a huge effort and a pain to peel those potatoes before boiling and mashing them.

Much easier to simply cut unpeeled potatoes and bake them in the oven!

Peeling potatoes makes me sad.

Eating mashed potato makes me happy though 🤔

Making mash is old school.

Peeling potatoes removes most of the nutrients! The skin of the potato is very high in fibre, potassium, vitamin C, vitamin B etc!

I still can't get my head around shop bought frozen mash.

Is it frozen into little rounds like an actual potato? Do you have to defrost it before, say putting a layer on the top for cottage pie. How do you heat it if they are just going on the plate with some sausages?

I never thought I would ever think about mash this much 😂

We get the dried packet stuff, but it's truly awful.

I love mash and think of it as a staple.

This idea is genius, handy portion sized mash ready to go sounds perfect.

You want to try Dutch stampot!
I don't peel the potatoes but chop them into 2" chunks. Add just enough stock to cover and simmer until almost done. Then add shredded kale, pop the lid back on and continue to cook until the kale softens. Take the lid off to evaporate any remaining water, then mash with lots of butter, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
Serve with (smoked) sausages.
Any leftovers get fried up the next day, and topped with a fried egg.

I usually peel and chop a swede in chip shapes and boil until soft in just enough water. Mash with masher or whizzy wand and the beat in potato flakes and some olive oil.

It's long winded IMO because you have to peel the potatoes...boil them AND mash them.

But I still make it when we fancy it. The quickest of the quick potatos for me are baby potatoes boiled, or jackets.

I have to be in the mood for peeling

Sainsburys frozen mash here.

It also means the peelings are recycled when processed at source, we don't have a food waste collection in our town and I got rid of the compost bin as rats ate it all.

Bangers and mash is definitely a low effort tea for us. Peeling potatoes isn’t much work if you’re making/prepping veg anyway, which I’d do for basically every meal. I agree the air fryer makes sausages very easy.