The simplest mashed potatoes

"Potato Patata"

What’s simpler than a bowl of flavorful creamy mashed potatoes? Sometime we can get so carried away with this dish we forget that’s in its simplest form it’s also very delicious. Let’s take it back to the basics today with a flavorful staple that everyone already knows how to make. If you can boil water you can make a delicious bowl of mashed potatoes.

I’m a little all over the place when it comes to mashed potatoes and for good reason. It’s a dish that lends itself to so many variations and all really delivering a great finish. In the past I have used milk, heavy cream, sour cream and coconut milk to help provide the creamy finish. But ultimately when the groceries are low and all you have is butter that works too.

I think the game changer in mashed potatoes is onion (same as in mac n cheese). I don’t bother with garlic because it’s too strong for mashed potatoes. But onion adds a very lovely aroma and flavor. You could certainly make it without the addition of onion but it’s the one ingredient I would never make mashed potatoes without. It just makes it so much better.

The milk or butter is up to what results you want; let’s say you love a creamy smooth velvety less stiff texture in your mash. You may want to add milk to the blend because it thins out the mixture and makes it smoother. I like my mashed potatoes slightly chunky. So I eliminate the milk all together, and I only blend a portion of the potatoes with the butter and onion then mash it together with the rest and leave a few chunks and bits behind.

Experiment on this one to get the perfect blend of texture and flavor just for you.

Ingredients (printable recipe)

8-10 potatoes

2-3 tablespoon salt (for boiling water)

1 small onion

4 tablespoon butter

Salt to taste

Black pepper to taste

Scallion to garnish

Instructions

• Bring a pot of water to boil and season liberally with salt
• Peel the potatoes and cut into large chunks
• Cook the potatoes in boiling water until fork tender
• Drain all the water once the potatoes are cooked
• In a blender place a small onion, 4 tablespoons of butter and ¼ of the cooked potatoes blend into a paste (It will resemble a glue like paste)
• Pour the mixture back into the rest of the potatoes and mash together until you have reached a creamy slightly chunky consistency
• Season with salt and black pepper to taste
• Serve garnished with scallions or chives

Xoxo Greedygirl