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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think frozen mashed potatoes are perfectly reasonable?

251 replies

MrsKeithRichards · 13/02/2013 18:33

Busy day, casserole slow cooking all day so we could just come home and eat. I bought some frozen mash the other week for the first time so thought that would compliment the casserole for a quick and easy dinner.

Dh came home and you'd have thought I'd suggested eating mashed worms, the face he pulled. He declined, on the grounds it would be rank and made himself some chips to go with his casserole instead.

Ds's and I ate the mash, it was lovely and creamy, and not the food of the devil as he'd implied. He wouldn't even try it!

My frozen veg has only included peas and corn on the cob until now. But for 80p a bag (of which we only needed half of) and 5 minutes in the microwave I declare frozen mash is the future.

Aibu?

OP posts:
squeakytoy · 13/02/2013 23:23

Ok so if you made too much mashed potato, would you throw the excess away, or would you save it. In which case you would freeze it.. and then defrost it when you needed it. Just because someone else has made it and frozen it for you, doesnt mean it is shit! lol!... there is nothing wrong with pre-prepared mash, fresh or frozen, it just saves a bit of time.

As for the mccains frozen baked spuds, they are lovely. And again a quick fix when you are in a hurry.. (a raw spud nuked is definitely not as good).

usualsuspect · 13/02/2013 23:25

Frozen mash is fab.

Can't fault it.

JackieTheFart · 13/02/2013 23:26

Frozen mash is bloody great, even the Asda one is just potato and butter!

I'd buy it all the time if I could afford it - I love mash and hate peeling spuds.

Monty27 · 13/02/2013 23:30

Another frozen mash fan here.

I hate hate hate peeling potatoes.

miggy · 13/02/2013 23:37

Even delia has recipes with frozen mash

squeakytoy · 13/02/2013 23:40

I hate peeling spuds, and am just a lazy cook. I always make a huge pan of mash and then portion up to freeze for when needed.

CalamityKate · 13/02/2013 23:41

I buy the Tesco one all the time. It's lovely.

MerryCouthyMows · 13/02/2013 23:42

Boak.

MerryCouthyMows · 13/02/2013 23:48

Ok, my first thought was Boak, but everyone is saying they're nice? I would live to avoid peeling tatties, but I have to do dairy free mash for DS3, so I would STILL have to peel and boil spuds anyway.

Might be ok to try for a dinner when he's not here though. If I can get over my initial boakiness at the thought.

(I don't use frozen veg either, have always used fresh veg and steamed rather than boiled, my mother always steamed her veg so I find boiled veg, fresh or frozen, rather soggy and insipid, so maybe my frozen-mash ism comes from that?)

MerryCouthyMows · 13/02/2013 23:51

Those microwave jacket potatoes make me Confused.

If you do potatoes in the microwave, the skin is soggy not crispy. And therefore doesn't constitute a proper jacket spud to me.

Surely they are the easiest dinner in the world?! You throw them in the oven, wait an hour, then chuck some beans on top? Where does a microwave need to come into it? You don't even need to check on them.

I do jacket spuds when I CBA to stand and stir or watch anything!

Pandemoniaa · 14/02/2013 00:38

YANBU. Frozen mash is just fine. Especially Waitrose's version. What I am more baffled about is your dh's decision that chips of all things would go well with a casserole though.

FellatioNels0n · 14/02/2013 03:38

I make a really nice fish pie and shepherd's pie by laying the little discs of frozen mash over the top. Well I did before I came to live in Qatar - we can't get it here so I've been forced to use my potato ricer, which is waaaay better than a masher so I don't mind doing it quite so much as I used to before I discovered ricers.

FellatioNels0n · 14/02/2013 03:41

It's more than just fine, it's delicious. Providing you buy a decent one. Some of the cheaper own brands do have other ingredients that give it a slightly more processed taste, but the good ones are equally delicious if not better than homemade and I defy most people to tell the difference. And that is really something coming from me. I am the one who gets all arsey and unreasonable when people don't cook their Christmas dinner from scratch.

Toomanycuppas · 14/02/2013 03:59

I love frozen mash. I too have arthritis and can't manage fresh mash very well. The frozen jobby is better than my fresh attempts any day. I noticed that all the brands we get here (Oz) are made in the Netherlands. They are all packaged for the individual supermarkets but look and taste exactly the same so I imagined there must be a factory in the Netherlands that produces all the frozen mash in the world Grin. It is particularly good for chucking on top of cottage pie or fish pie filling straight from the freezer and then straight into the oven, just fluff up with a fork half way through cooking.

I have 4 bags in my freezer because sometimes imported things go missing from the shops for months here. Can't have a mash crisis!

Original poster
MrsKeithRichards · 14/02/2013 04:26

That's what I thought pandemonia! But he's a big boy now, chips and casserole don't go in my world but he cleared his plate.

OP posts:
LadybirdsAreFab · 14/02/2013 04:51

I love M&S frozen mash, miles and miles better than I could ever make. I also use all of the Waitrose frozen stuff like onions, ginger, garlic & shallots.

vvviola · 14/02/2013 05:49

I used to have a bag of frozen mash in the freezer for "adding" purposes. You know those times when you have leftover potato but not enough to make all the mash you need. Make mash, use frozen stuff to bulk it out. Perfect.

Except DD2 now has a dairy allergy so mash is made from scratch with oat milk and dairy-free margarine with cauliflower for bulking purposes.

Sugarice · 14/02/2013 06:11

Cuddlyrunner frozen pesto came from Sainsburys.

HolidayArmadillo · 14/02/2013 11:45

Weight watchers used to do a lovely frozen mash with chives in. I know, I was as surprised as you all are!

Original poster
MrsKeithRichards · 14/02/2013 11:57

I used to like the ww ready made shepherds pie, surprisingly nice!

OP posts:
5madthings · 14/02/2013 12:03

Its fine and re jacket spuds we oftrn zap them in the microwave and then give them 20mins im the oven to finish cooking and crisp the skin.

valiumredhead · 14/02/2013 12:12

He's a twat - even Delia used it in some of her recipes!

Canidae · 14/02/2013 12:25

Well mumsnets introduced me to frozen diced onions and those are brilliant so maybe I should try frozen mash next?

I have seen an Aunt Bessie one but does Tesco have an own brand mash?

oldraver · 14/02/2013 12:25

I love Waitrose frozen Croquetter Potato, I quite often use them cut in half for a quick Shepherds pie for DS

atthewelles · 14/02/2013 12:44

I've never used frozen mash but often buy Tesco finest or M&S microwave ones. There's nothing in them except potato, butter and black pepper. Exactly what you would use at home and a potato is a potato, it's not like meat where some is better quality than others.

I often start off jacket potatoes in the microwave and then finish them in the oven. It saves time and electricity.