4-Ingredient Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes (No-Drain, Pressure Cooker Recipe): The Easiest Mashed Potatoes You'll Ever Make (2024)

FAQs

Can I use milk instead of water for instant mashed potatoes? ›

Most instant potato varieties call for you to combine the potatoes with water, but if you want your potatoes to taste a bit more indulgent, use milk instead. Whole milk will yield delightfully rich potatoes, but 2 percent milk works well too.

Nutritionally speaking, instant mashed potatoes offer roughly the same vitamins and minerals as the real mashed potatoes with the exception of Vitamin C. To please palates, they tend to be higher in sodium, significantly higher than the amount of salt home cooks would add when making them at home from scratch.

Ingredients. Idaho® potatoes, sunflower oil, corn syrup solids, salt, mono and diglycerides, sodium caseinate, maltodextrin, natural flavor, dipotassium phosphate, tricalcium phosphate, soy lecithin, artificial color. Freshness preserved by sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bisulfite, citric acid and mixed tocopherols.

Potatoes are like pasta, in that they leach starches into their cooking liquid. In the case of pasta, you want to reserve some of that liquid to give sauce a luscious shine and bind it to the noodles.

Add Heft with Dairy. Heavy cream can make instant mashed potatoes taste indulgent. Half and half or even regular milk (whole is better than skim, but 2% will do) adds extra creaminess. To give your mashed potatoes a light tanginess, go with buttermilk or sour cream.

Garlic and herbs are added to boost flavor

Instead of boiling a few potatoes and mashing them plain, a lot of restaurant chefs like to apply a little more finesse. Garlic and herbs infused in butter and cream add a flavor boost without overpowering.

“You can taste the binding agent in the instant mashed potatoes, but there isn't a big difference,” she said. “They're similar enough that if I had a lot of people over to eat, I would use the instant potatoes.” There you have it. The texture is the deciding factor between fresh and instant mashed potatoes.

Add Oil, Margarine and Milk

Drizzling in a little of either oil in makes a great substitute for butter in mashed potatoes. Though oil is healthier, it is even higher in calories than butter, however, so take care if you are weight-watching. A tablespoon of olive oil has 118 calories according to the USDA.

When it comes to cooking pasta, boiling potatoes, and steaming vegetables, you probably start by filling a pot of water. But you may want to take a pause the next time: You can actually enhance the flavor of many dishes by swapping that plain ol' water out for broth — chicken, beef, or even vegetable.

Add a Thickening Agent

This is the most common way to thicken mashed potatoes. You can use what you have on hand: Flour, cornstarch, or powdered milk are all solid options that are probably already in your pantry. Potato flour and potato starch would work as well.

Are there any healthy instant mashed potatoes? ›

Idahoan SMARTMASH Very Low Sodium Dairy-Free Mashed Potatoes are a healthier alternative to traditional mashed potatoes—made to deliver delicious taste, with only 20 mg of sodium per serving. They're perfect for healthcare, K12, or wherever low sodium or dairy-free options are required.

As The Kitchn explains, potatoes will release starch when they're mixed and mashed. Once there is too much starch in your mashed potato mixture, the texture will quickly turn from fluffy to gummy.

Instant mashed potatoes are convenient for busy food establishments like KFC — the only thing employees need to do is add water and mix. The peeling, cooking, and mashing, has already been done. The downside to instant mashed potatoes is that they aren't as fluffy and tend to be bland.

Note: For a creamier mashed potato, stir in additional hot water or milk. Less salt can be added if desired.

This absorptive property is what makes milk powder a great thickener for mashed potatoes. Mix it into your runny bowl of spuds so that it can soak up the extra moisture, resulting in the firm mash you desire. Put your runny mashed potatoes in a bowl and add the powdered milk bit by bit.

You can use what you have on hand: Flour, cornstarch, or powdered milk are all solid options that are probably already in your pantry. Potato flour and potato starch would work as well. Stir in the thickening agent gradually, about a tablespoon at a time, until the potatoes have reached your desired consistency.

If you run out of milk you can try cream cheese. The flavor is similar to that of milk, but it is not as sweet. The creaminess of cream cheese makes it a good substitute for milk in mashed potatoes.