cooking · side dish
Mashed Potatoes
From a video by Preppy Kitchen · 5 min watch
Simple homemade mashed potatoes that are rich, creamy, and full of garlic flavor with a light, fluffy texture. A classic side dish that goes with everything.
side dishcomfort foodAmerican
Source video — Preppy Kitchen on YouTube
From the creator
Total time
~25 minutesEstimated by Unreel from the recipe steps — the creator didn't state this.
Hands-on
~15 minutesEstimated by Unreel from the recipe steps — the creator didn't state this.
Servings
~6 servingsEstimated by Unreel from the complete recipe.
Difficulty
EasyEstimated by Unreel from the recipe steps — the creator didn't state this.
Extraction confidence: high
Auto-generated from the video and rewritten in our own words. Double-check quantities against the source before cooking.
Ingredients
Ingredients scaled to 6 servings
- ½ cup butter, cut into roughly tablespoon size pieces
- milk, to taste, to melt butter with
- 5 cloves garlic, optional but recommended, smashed
- Yukon Gold potatoes, to taste, Yukon Gold, Russet, or 50/50 mix; cut into half inch thick slices
- 2 tsp salt, for boiling water
- salt, to taste, adjust based on whether using salted or unsalted butter
- black pepper, to taste, freshly cracked
Preparation
- Step 1 · 212°F / 100°CCut the potatoes into half inch thick slices, quartering or making sixths or eighths depending on their size. Smash the garlic cloves to release their skins and add them to the potatoes.
- Step 2 · 212°F / 100°C · 10 minutesPlace the potatoes and garlic in a pot and cover with cold water about one to two inches above the potatoes. Add about two teaspoons of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook for about 10 minutes or until fork tender, checking after about 8 minutes.Doneness — fork tender
- Step 3 · 212°F / 100°CDrain the potatoes into a colander and return them to the pot over low heat to remove excess moisture.
- Step 4 · 212°F / 100°C · 4 minutesCut the butter into roughly tablespoon size pieces and add it to the milk. Microwave for about 4 minutes until melted and warm.
- Step 5 · 212°F / 100°CPour the warm butter and milk mixture over the potatoes and mix with a wooden spoon. Then mash using a potato masher or ricer, depending on desired texture. Do not over-mix or the potatoes will become gluey from released starch.
- Step 6 · 212°F / 100°CSeason with freshly cracked black pepper and salt, adding about half a teaspoon at a time and tasting as you go. Adjust salt based on whether using salted or unsalted butter.
Notes
- Russet potatoes are fluffy and fall apart when boiled; Yukon Gold are creamy and hold together better
- Russet potatoes have thick skin and should be peeled; Yukon Gold have thin skin and can be left on
- Cut potatoes into half inch thick slices, quartering or making sixths/eighths depending on size
- Use cold water and bring to boil for even cooking; boiling water would overcook the outside while undercooking the inside
- Smash garlic cloves to release oils before adding to potatoes
- Do not overcook potatoes or they will absorb too much water and release excess starch when mashed
- Drain potatoes and return to low heat to remove excess water before mashing
- Warm butter and milk together in microwave for 4 minutes before adding to potatoes
- Do not over-mix potatoes or they will become gluey and gummy from released starch
- Use a potato masher for chunkier texture or a ricer for smoother results
- If using salted butter, reduce added salt accordingly