No holiday meal would be complete without a big bowl of deliciously creamy mashed potatoes, am I right? My son says that there’s no need to wait for any special occasion, he asks for these delicious mashed potatoes on any given day! These are really the best mashed potatoes, incredibly creamy and buttery, easy to make, and the perfect accompaniment to any meal!
If I can share any tips it would be the following two. First: make sure you heat the milk before adding it to your potatoes. This is very important as cold milk not only cools down the dish, but it will not properly absorb into the hot potatoes. You will not get that delicious fluffy consistency by adding cold milk. Second: use a hand masher or even a fork, over an electric mixer, stand mixer or food processor. Those small appliances can break down the starches in the potatoes and cause a gummy texture if they are overmixed. Use a hand masher for the creamiest potatoes.
INGREDIENTS:
1 pound of potatoes (about 5 Russet or Yukon Gold)
3 garlic cloves (cut slits into them)
1 bay leaf
4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon of Kosher salt (+extra for water)
black pepper (to taste)
STEPS:
Peel and quarter the potatoes, then place them in a pot of cold salted water. (Alternatively, you could cut them in halves).
Add the garlic, and bay leaf to the pot.
Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until potatoes are fork tender, about 15 minutes.
Drain well and discard the garlic and bay leaves.
Heat milk on the stove top (or in the microwave) until warm.
Return the potatoes to your pot. Add the butter to the potatoes and begin mashing.
Pour the heated milk little by little into the potatoes, while using a potato masher to reach your desired consistency. My kids say the smoother the better!
Bon appétit!