How to Make Mashed Potatoes

How to make mashed potatoes like mom makes, for the newbies.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• potatoes
• large pot
• butter/margerine
• salt
• pepper
• milk

1. 
   Russets

   Gather what you need. Russet and the little yellow potatoes taste good mashed. Rinse them off. The yellow potatoes have a different taste to them, but it works for mashies.

2. 

   Chop the potatoes into quarters(or halves/sixths depending on the size of the potato in question) while getting a pot of water to a rolling boil. You don't need to peel them yet. Cut out any bad spots.

3. 

   Put the potatoes in the boiling water and boil them(rolling boil) until a fork inserted into a potato chunk goes in to the very center without resistance.

4. Remove the potatoes from the pot and let sit five minutes or so. Not too many minutes, they need to be hot enough to melt butter, but not so hot they'll burn your fingers.

5. 

   If you wish to peel them, peel the skin right off with your fingers. The skin'll slick right off the hot cooked potatoes. I think it is easier than peeling them before with a knife.

6. 

   Put them in a bowl and add in butter, salt, and pepper to taste.

7. 

   Mash the potatoes good. Once the butter is melted, add milk to taste and mash it in. You can use a masher, or you if don't have a masher you can use a fork or whatever you find in your cupboards. You can use a hand mixer or food processor if you want a really fine smooth texture.

8. 

   Garnish, serve, and eat.

Tips & Warnings

• adding shredded cheese to be mashed in may seem like a good idea, but it isn't. I did that once, and it tasted foul.