Ingredients
Mashed potatoes
- 900 g russet potatoes peeled weight; cut into even 3 cm pieces
- 180 ml whole milk
- 60 g unsalted butter cubed
- 0.5 tsp fine salt about 3 g
- 0.25 tsp ground black pepper optional
Equipment
- Large saucepan
- Colander
- Hand masher or potato ricer
- Small saucepan
- Food thermometer
Instructions
Cook and mash
- Put the peeled potato pieces in a large saucepan and cover with cold unsalted water by about 2 cm. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a steady simmer.
- Simmer for 15–20 minutes, until a knife slides through several pieces with almost no resistance. Check the largest pieces; cook a little longer if their centers are firm.
- While the potatoes cook, warm the milk and butter in a small saucepan over low heat until the butter melts. Do not boil.
- Drain the potatoes thoroughly. Return them to the empty pan over low heat for 1–2 minutes, shaking gently, until the surfaces look dry without browning.
- Remove from the heat. Mash or rice the potatoes, then gently fold in the warm milk mixture in three additions. Hold back a little milk if the mash already looks soft.
- Fold in the salt and optional pepper. Serve promptly. For leftovers, refrigerate in shallow containers within 2 hours, use within 3 days and reheat to 165°F/74°C throughout.
Nutrition
Calories: 213kcalCarbohydrates: 28.3gProtein: 4.4gFat: 9.4g
Video
Notes
Nutrition is estimated per one-sixth of the batch using USDA data for raw peeled russets and representative whole-milk and unsalted-butter labels. Cooking losses, potato variety and brands vary; this is not a laboratory analysis. Fiber and micronutrients are not estimated. Gravy and extra butter are excluded.
Instructional video: Allrecipes, “How to Make Mashed Potatoes,” published August 17, 2011. It demonstrates cutting, boiling, checking tenderness and mashing. This printed formula fixes the peeled potato weight and milk/butter amounts, uses unsalted cooking water and seasons after mashing; follow these quantities rather than treating the video as the ingredient list.
Cost is an estimate using portion allowances: potatoes US$1.80, milk US$0.25, butter US$0.60, salt and pepper US$0.10. Store prices vary. Gravy, extra butter and accompaniments are excluded.