5 Tips for Classic Fluffy Mashed Potatoes

My grandmother used to make the most amazing smooth-as-silk mashed potatoes that were never gummy, lumpy or dry. What was her secret? Tons of butter and whole milk.

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I would love to follow in her footsteps and make her recipe as is, but I would have to spend the next month on the treadmill working those potatoes off.

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So this year for Thanksgiving I've decided to forgo my grandmother's version of classic, fluffy mashed potatoes, my favorite Turkey Day side dish, and look into healthier ways to get the same result. We've tested and developed many mashed potato recipes in the EatingWell Test Kitchen, discovering a few tips to getting the classic fluffy result without the aid of tons of butter and full-fat milk.

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Tip 1: Pick the right potato.

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There are plenty of different kinds of potatoes out there, but all fall into three categories: waxy, starchy and all-purpose. When you're talking mashed potatoes, select either a starchy potato (like a russet) or an all-purpose (like a Yukon Gold). These two varieties are less dense and break down more during cooking—which leads to a smoother texture. (Photo from Flickr: techfun)

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There are plenty of different kinds of potatoes out there, but all fall into three categories: waxy, starchy and all-purpose. When you're talking mashed potatoes, select either a starchy potato (like a russet) or an all-purpose (like a Yukon Gold). These two varieties are less dense and break down more during cooking—which leads to a smoother texture.

(Photo from Flickr: techfun)

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What is your favorite way to make mashed potatoes?

By Hilary Meyer

Hilary Meyer is assistant editor for EatingWell Media Group. Hilary spends much of her time in the EatingWell Test Kitchen, testing and developing healthy recipes. She is a graduate of New England Culinary Institute.
More from EatingWell:

• Impressively Easy Thanksgiving Desserts


• 9 Simple Stuffing Recipes


• EatingWell's Best Thanksgiving Turkey Recipes


• Get a Free Trial Issue When You Subscribe to EatingWell Magazine and Sign Up for Our Free E-Newsletters!

 

Follow EatingWell on Twitter: www.twitter.com/eatingwell

Comments

[commentsareus]

12:50 PM on 11/25/2010

YES, steam potatoes, push through a ricer or wire mesh strainer, real butter, real cream, fresh ground white pepper and salt. Perfect mashed potatoes!

[radicalcentrist44]

12:41 PM on 11/23/2010

Use a potato ricer

[shubes61]

03:13 PM on 11/22/2010

i'm sure i'm the only person who can say this... but i LIKE lumpy mashed potatoes... it's how my grandmother used to make them, and it's great to bite into a little bit of solid potato... i get kinda bored when they're too smooth.

[SinfullySublime]

09:49 PM on 11/23/2010

You're not alone and it saves them from going gooey from overmixing.

[patg00]

02:25 PM on 11/22/2010

Add a little bit of the stock (for thanksgiving, stock could be neck, gizzard, heart, liver, carrots,celery,onion etc) to the potatoes. Along with butter and milk. mmmm potatoes.

[nickole]

07:32 PM on 11/22/2010

not so awesome for your vegetarian family members who now have one less thing to eat

[xi mezmerize ix]

05:18 AM on 11/23/2010

Good...more for me.

[MWMom]

11:00 AM on 11/22/2010

I am going to try making a day ahead and warming in a crock pot. It is always messy and stressful making them the day of. When I started reading I was hopeful that her granda's recipe, with the butter and cream, was forthcoming but no such luck. Should have know better with the alleged "healthy" eating police here on HuffPo.

I always use lots of butter, cream, cream cheese or sour cream - whatever I have in the fridge, but was hoping to hear her grandmas proportions since I am always winging it and on occaision have ended up with soupy potatoes and there is no going back! Oh well, her grandma probably winged it too...

[iver]

06:15 AM on 11/22/2010

Had a big crowd to feed Sunday. 5 pounds each of Yukon Gold and Rose potatoes. Peeled the gold, not the rose. Lots of butter and skim milk in the hand mashing and put all in large crock pot on keep warm. Dotted with chunks of butter and parsley. They were done early and easy and were devoured. Frankly, I am tired of all the bad rap on potatoes. Complex carbohydrates and lots of good Minnesota dairy products make you able to the work that needs to be done! Now about that apple pie...

[Alvarask]

03:34 AM on 11/22/2010

Knowing as I do now that carbs are bad for me, I avoid them avidly, but damnit...if I'm going to have a Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner I'm going to do it the right way, and that means mashed potatoes with lashings of good full cream milk and lots of butter, and maybe a dash of cream. My mother has always made remarkably fluffy mashed potatoes, and her secret is twofold: first, once the potatoes are cooked...thoroughly but not mushy, drain and put them back in the pot on the lowest heat to let them steam dry....if you dry them out a bit this way they will be incredibly fluffy...and then put the milk in the pot with them to heat up before you mix it in...you want good hot milk to get that mixture fluffy. These are the rules I follow and everyone who has ever had my mashed potatoes comments on them being the best ever.

[eleanorhawking]

11:11 AM on 11/23/2010

I read that tip about putting them back in the pan to let them dry out a bit, in a Gourmet magazine years ago. I have done it that way ever since, and it does make a huge difference in the fluffiness of the potatoes.

[mngeorge]

01:03 AM on 11/22/2010

Hand mash your boiled russet spuds. Do not whip them with an electric beater. If your potatoes are too soupy just add potato flakes to get the desired texture. Adding dried flakes to the real thing WORKS VERY GOOD. Idahoan Original Mashed Potatoes is a good dried flake. If you want to forget the milk and butter, use cream cheese, one Tablespoon per spud. Ok.. it is not healthy..maybe.. but it sure makes the mashed spuds taste great. Throw in parsley flakes or fresh clipped chives at the last minute, if you want a little more zest. Sorry, I will always add cream cheese to my mashed spuds. The improved flavor is just too darn good to pass up. I add very little and sometimes, no milk.

[Mij13]

08:43 PM on 11/21/2010

I'm shocked at how many people, including Martha Stewart, (who should know better), recommend putting salt in the pot of water to boil. The original owner of Sur La Table told me many years ago that it's not only a waste of salt, it's the best way to ruin good stainless cookware. She said it leaves pits in the finish over time. Not many people have tin lined copper anymore, but salt is even more corrosive on that. It also doesn't really add any flavor to the food. I always add salt to potatoes when I'm beating the other ingredients together with a whisk. Just my two cents.

[delta7777]

05:54 PM on 11/21/2010

.
If you are in Hawaii, then definitely use an electric mixer for your mashed potatoes--
They will make an excellent substitute dish for poi,
which I understand is getting scarcer these days.....
.

[CintiBlue]

05:41 PM on 11/21/2010

I vote whole milk/butter- per serving the amounts will not kill you. I've had them made with half and half and still remember those some years latter.

[PrairieRobin]

04:45 PM on 11/21/2010

I always add about 3/4 cup of sour cream and some chives.

[mngeorge]

01:06 AM on 11/22/2010

right on! Once you have gone with cream cheese, you will never go back to none.

[SpeakingFreely]

04:06 PM on 11/21/2010

My vote is for butter and whole milk, because I like flavor. If you don't want the calories, just don't put so much on your plate.That's a lot quicker way to lose weight.

[imneverright]

02:10 PM on 11/21/2010

Butter and milk all the way!!! Sure, I'm on a low fat diet because of high cholesterol. But c'mon now....Thanksgiving and Christmas??? Sure I'm gonna cheat. It's the only way (IMO) to eat them! A few times a year isn't gonna kill me....Don't forget about the deep fried turkey either. Tried it 5 years ago and it's the ONLY way I do it now!!!

[SinfullySublime]

01:34 PM on 11/21/2010

Cottage cheese has become my favorite secret ingredient.