To tell you my mashed potato cheat?

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I’m sure I’m not the only person to have figured this out, but before I started doing it, I’d never seen or heard of it. So, herewith my cheater’s guide to faff-free mashed potato:

Put potatoes in microwave until they’re done all the way through.

Cut in half.

Scoop potato out of skin straight onto plate.

Add butter and smush with fork. Add grated cheese to taste.

Enjoy mashed potato with no peeling, chopping, boiling or washing up afterwards.

As an Irish person I find this thread offensive

Powdered/frozen mashed potato? blasphemy!

Thanks OP! On a related potato note...Jack Monroe tip: if you peel potatoes, put the peelings in the bottom of the oven, sprinkle with salt and let them go crispy. I tried it when making roast potatoes. They were lovely - like hot crisps.

Get a decent peeler, cut up your potatoes into small chunks, boil and mash. I would never buy mash or do it any other way. Unbelievable thread!

Frozen or processed mash is rank.

Steam peeled potatoes. Hardly a chore. Then my latest gadget which has revolutionised my mash is a masher attachment for my stick blender. Amazing mash and incredibly therapeutic as the potatoes mash through the little holes. My kids love using it too which is a bonus.

Isn't it a bit awkward trying to scoop out the insides of basically boiling hot potatoes. How do you cook enough potatoes for a family without the first ones cooling down? Just can't figure out the logistcs.

I just put mine in a pan for 20 mins then Mash them lol same thing really.

So, nobody answered me as to why my whipped up with electric mash went all horrid. It was like slime.

And now I have fomo.
We do not get frozen mashed potatoes, frozen baked potatoes, or even frozen roast potatoes. We do however get chips and wedges, even hashbrowns are few and far between.

So its manual mashed potatoes for a while for me it seems. I detest peeling potatoes and worst still, I have no clue wtf is wrong with me, but I have managed to burn every attempt at making any sort of boiled potatoes in the last week.

I do however, have a new love interest, which isn't potato related, i should add, so perhaps I can blame him for the burnt pot situation. Not keeping my eye on the rolling boil as to say
If I knew I could get ready made frozen, I would be first in line to grab them.

Oh we get Smash. That is vile. I see it even comes in all sorts of flavours too now. Sour cream and chives? Garlic? Why??

All this talk of mashed potatoes is making me crave sausages and mash with peas and gravy

Isthismylifenow,
What did you whip them with? Many devices I’ve used in hope of whipped mash have absolutely fucked them. May also be too much milk or butter.

I used an Argos electric whisk for £5.99, level 5. It came out beautiful and fluffy.

I have however had a problem with anything that has a sort of blade.

This sounds like a lot more hassle than the conventional way

All this talk of mashed potatoes is making me crave sausages and mash with peas and gravy and now that's what I want!

Tea sorted tonight lol

I loathe mashed potato so am no expert but DH does not like the baked potato method . He says it is not the same. I make mashed potato and it is no real bother but I used a hand masher, add butter and milk and don't bother about a few lumps. In fact I like a few lumps as it tastes more like crushed potatoes (much nicer than mash IMO)

Dh does not mind lumps in his mash and I have obviously trained Ds not to mind either, in fact they both positively prefer them I tried a ricer to puree them but it made a mess, took ages and DS and DH didn't like the smooth gloopy quality (as they called it). I also tried frozen mash but apparently, it is too smooth and gloopy as well.

I personally take a few boiled potaotes out before mashing for me anyway and add some dressing. I never knew about the obsession with smooth mash until MN!

And AIBU to think that homemade mash should be slightly lumpy? If it's totally smooth blended it tastes like the shop-bought ready made stuff.

Exactly!

Space - I've been doing this too for ages, expensive way to make mash but if in a hurry, no potatoes available or just can't be bothered it is a super quick way to make a bit of mash. You don't get a massive amount though...

So, nobody answered me as to why my whipped up with electric mash went all horrid. It was like slime

You’re buying the wrong type of potatoes in the first place. You want ones billed as for mash/baking, and if you hate peeling get huge bakers. Always heat the butter and milk first

Wrong! Mashed potatoes that are beaten/whisked release extra starch, which makes them slimy.

Why your mash went all horrid like slime.....

When you beat up boiled potatoes with an electric blender/whisk you risk over beating, resulting in breaking down the cell structure of the potatoes which releases all their starch, resulting in a panful of wallpaper paste instead of delicious fluffy mash.

Yes AdaColeman that is the perfect description of the slime.

I think i will stick to the handheld masher, but i will try steaming the potatoes this time. Also lessens the risk of me burning them too.

Oh and sausage and mashed spuds here tonight too. With gravy.

instant(powdered) mashed potatos have been around since the 50s.
the more generic the brand the less additives/store brands
main thing i use them for are quick potato pancakes
use milk not water to make them
experiment to get the consistancy you want.you can always add more liquid/mayo/butter/sour cream/cream cheese ti thin them out

as for microwaving whole potatos/put in a bowl and add a bit of water to the bowl,it keeps the skins soft
we have thin skinned red and gold potatos here that mash up wonderful without peeling/skins have many beneficial nutrients

Back to the Idaho potato mash - well I had to google this, and how about bat mash <a class="break-all" href="//-idahopotato.com/recipes/creepy-idaho-potato-critters-purple-vampire-bat" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">-idahopotato.com/recipes/creepy-idaho-potato-critters-purple-vampire-bat.
Get a good peeler folks and do your own

Pierce the potatoes and wrap in damp kitchen paper, turn half way during cooking and you’ll never go wrong.

I'm afraid your link doesn't work fitflopqueen but I'd just like to reiterate what I said upthread about the Idahoan packet mash -- at the ingredients list!!!
Our grannies would never recognise any of those things as actual food.
ps love your username -- I have well over a dozen pairs of FFs myself. Bestie probably has more like 50.

I don't understand how people find mash so difficult. The only reason I can really think is that they use the wrong sort of potatoes.

I tried instant mash for the first time not so long ago. Oh. My. God I was almost sick. No idea how people eat it. Vile. However, it was not the Idaho stuff mentioned upthread, but a supermarket version. Tasted like gluey gloop.

I rate The Aunt Bessie frozen ones for a quick solution.

Well, making mash isn't that difficult, you just need to use the right potatoes etc. However frozen is just potato, milk and seasoning and is very convenient and not expensive. Sometimes I might want mash rather the chips everyone else is having, sometimes i'm in from work and I just can't be bothered making it properly and am happy just to tip a whole bag into a microwave dish and fire it on for 15 minutes while I'm doing something else. Sometimes I haven't been shopping so don't have real potatoes in.

Some days I'll make real mash, or real roasties or my own potato wedges or lovely oven baked potatoes with nice crispy salty skins, other days I'm glad I can tip some frozen chips or whatever onto a tray.

In terms of dried mash, the sainsburys powder is the most controllable, it lacks a bit of flavour but some milk butter and seasoning sorts that out for a quick fix,