Mashed potatoes... I don't get it

[lowspark]

mmmm.... mashed potatoes....
I love 'em.

Yeah, normally I boil potatoes, unpeeled, mash them with butter & milk & salt. I like the lumps. And the peel. And lots of milk.

Sometimes I'll add garlic, sometimes not.

We go to my sister's house for TG and her husband cooks up a storm. They like their mashed potatoes lump free so he whips them with an electric mixer. They are delicious that way too!

I do keep the boxed flakes on hand for certain uses. For upset-stomach type of illnesses, they are really perfect as a bland, easy-on-the-stomach meal when recovering. They are also great as a thickener for soups. And I have a bread recipe that calls for instant mashed potato flakes.

As far as moral superiority, yes, I do know some folks who feel morally superior for cooking everything from scratch. I kinda wonder, though, if they really do, or if they just say they do, for the sake of flaunting that supposed superiority.

Me? I prefer to cook everything from scratch but the reality is, I don't always have the time or inclination to do so. And sometimes it's actually cheaper not to. Or cheaper and just as good (if not better) to just buy something premade. So, sometimes, it's worth the effort, sometimes not.

[Luci]

My friend always used potato flakes when her kids were little. I used real. We shared a lot of meals.

Her daughter once asked her mom why Luci's potatoes taste funny.

[hobish]

I made potatoes with shredded potatoes this weekend. They were ok. Boxed probably would have been better but i have to use these potoes before they go bad. I have tendonitis pretty badly, so all that cutting and mashing is usually not going to happen.

How do you do this? I have a real rough time with a peeler (arthritis), and ricing is just a difficult. If I could cook the shreds in just a little water then use my little hand mixer and end up with an edible product, I would be in heaven! Is that what you do?

I  couldn't have done the 20 lbs all at once last week if my granddaughter hadn't peeled for me and I hadn't had the food mill.

For the record, I like boxed cake mixes more than from scratch. We had once when a friend brought a boxed cake which was light and soft and yummy and another, who is a caterer, brought once of hers. Both were iced/frosted, and the Duncan Hines was far superior.

Cookies are another story!

Ok, be warned, I am sure this is not the right way to do it. I grabbed a couple raw potatoes and ran them down one of those metal graters you would usually use for cheese – the side that is showing in this picture:
http://static7.depositphotos.com/1001069/716/i/450/dep_7169861-Metal-grater.jpg
I put all the little shreds in a Corningware baking dish, added a little bit of water, just a tablespoon or two, mixed in a little bit of infused olive oil, then baked it for about an hour at 350 or so. Later I defrosted some sausage (broccoli rabe & parmesan sausages – yum) and baked them on top of the potatoes at 400 – covered for another hour. They’re um … well, they are decidedly grey … Gish wouldn’t touch them. Maybe you know what would make them turn grey? Was it the water? I don’t know, but they are tasty. They aren’t quite mashed, but close, and they taste good, so that is my lunch today. Adding some onions probably would be better but it was the day before grocery shopping so I was working with what I had … namely leftover potatoes that needed to be used before they went bad. I’m sure the cooking times could be adjusted; I am not a wizard in the kitchen.
In any case, though, shredding them that way worked out pretty well – except for the greyness, of course – it wasn’t bad on my hands at all. I was pleasantly surprised.

[Lorelei_Evil]

You could just buy frozen hash browns and them them in a colander, too. 

They probably oxidized on you, that's why they turned a funny color.

[Diane AKA Traska]

It all depends.

If I want something quick, I go for the flakes (like if I get a sudden desire for mashed potatoes for lunch).  For a big dinner, it's definitely the real thing.

The real question is, though... who else mashes them with the skins? 

[ladyknight1]

I make mashed potatoes skinless if we are having gravy. Skin on smashed potatoes with sour cream, cheese, bacon and scallions if there is no gravy. Russet or Yukon golds for skinless, Yukon golds or Red for smashed potatoes.

I have a friend who is a stay-at-home mom with two school age children. She cooks everything from a mix or a bulk of prepared ingredients. Every meal is primarily store-bought and then combined. She is baffled that I, who work full time and go to school full time, cook from scratch. I don't use a chili mix when I make chili and I know how to make nearly anything. I can learn techniques if I don't already know how. I don't consider myself superior for doing so, but I am a foodie, and I have issues with texture and flavor of most convenience products. Also, I find the convenience products to be far more expensive than the real thing.

My mother has never made a sauce from scratch. The word roux is not in her vocabulary. We ate a majority of canned foods growing up.

I had a food epiphany in my early twenties:
Fresh salmon
Broccoli
Asparagus
Sweet Potatoes
Stinky cheeses

[exitzero]

I make mashed potatoes skinless if we are having gravy. Skin on smashed potatoes with sour cream, cheese, bacon and scallions if there is no gravy. Russet or Yukon golds for skinless, Yukon golds or Red for smashed potatoes.

I have a friend who is a stay-at-home mom with two school age children. She cooks everything from a mix or a bulk of prepared ingredients. Every meal is primarily store-bought and then combined. She is baffled that I, who work full time and go to school full time, cook from scratch. I don't use a chili mix when I make chili and I know how to make nearly anything. I can learn techniques if I don't already know how. I don't consider myself superior for doing so, but I am a foodie, and I have issues with texture and flavor of most convenience products. Also, I find the convenience products to be far more expensive than the real thing.

My mother has never made a sauce from scratch. The word roux is not in her vocabulary. We ate a majority of canned foods growing up.

I had a food epiphany in my early twenties:
Fresh salmon
Broccoli
Asparagus
Sweet Potatoes
Stinky cheeses

Yes! I can distinctly remember the first time I had each one of those!

[ladyknight1]

I make mashed potatoes skinless if we are having gravy. Skin on smashed potatoes with sour cream, cheese, bacon and scallions if there is no gravy. Russet or Yukon golds for skinless, Yukon golds or Red for smashed potatoes.

I have a friend who is a stay-at-home mom with two school age children. She cooks everything from a mix or a bulk of prepared ingredients. Every meal is primarily store-bought and then combined. She is baffled that I, who work full time and go to school full time, cook from scratch. I don't use a chili mix when I make chili and I know how to make nearly anything. I can learn techniques if I don't already know how. I don't consider myself superior for doing so, but I am a foodie, and I have issues with texture and flavor of most convenience products. Also, I find the convenience products to be far more expensive than the real thing.

My mother has never made a sauce from scratch. The word roux is not in her vocabulary. We ate a majority of canned foods growing up.

I had a food epiphany in my early twenties:
Fresh salmon
Broccoli
Asparagus
Sweet Potatoes
Stinky cheeses

Yes! I can distinctly remember the first time I had each one of those!

My mom has never liked mushrooms either, so my first properly cooked mushrooms rate high on the list.

[CakeBeret]

I had a food epiphany in my early twenties:
Fresh salmon
Broccoli
Asparagus
Sweet Potatoes
Stinky cheeses

I'm with you on everything but the cheese. Somehow, I like cheese less and less as I get older. Melted on something? Yes, absolutely. Eating cheese by itself? I just don't care for it. And I really dislike the flavors and smells of stinky cheese, though I did once have baked Camembert that was divine.

Other food epiphanies I had included brussels sprouts, mushrooms, and sushi.

[KenveeB]

I had a food epiphany in my early twenties:
Fresh salmon
Broccoli
Asparagus
Sweet Potatoes
Stinky cheeses

I'm with you on everything but the cheese. Somehow, I like cheese less and less as I get older. Melted on something? Yes, absolutely. Eating cheese by itself? I just don't care for it. And I really dislike the flavors and smells of stinky cheese, though I did once have baked Camembert that was divine.

Other food epiphanies I had included brussels sprouts, mushrooms, and sushi.

I'm the same on cheese now. I used to love it with absolutely everything. Now I don't eat cheese just by itself like I used to, and I use it much more rarely with things. It's still good melted, but I try not to have it too much for weight reasons!

Mmm, Brussels sprouts. I never had them growing up, then I got some with my co-op basket and looked up how to roast them. They were yummy!

[Ms_Cellany]

I put all the little shreds in a Corningware baking dish, added a little bit of water, just a tablespoon or two, mixed in a little bit of infused olive oil, then baked it for about an hour at 350 or so. Later I defrosted some sausage (broccoli rabe & parmesan sausages – yum) and baked them on top of the potatoes at 400 – covered for another hour. They’re um … well, they are decidedly grey … Gish wouldn’t touch them. Maybe you know what would make them turn grey?

Potatoes turn color on exposure to air. Grate them directly into water. When ready to use, grab the potatoes with your hands and squeeze out the water. Cook immediately.

[RebeccainGA]

For years, the only cakes I made were from Betty Crocker.  I can't tell you how many compliments I got on the cake, never mind the decorating.  And I'd always tell them it was Betty Crocker.  They didn't believe me.  I'd make special ones for my parents' church coffee hour at Easter and Remembrance Day and a couple other occasions throughout the year.  One minister had a real sweet tooth and his wife didn't bake.  He liked to bless the cakes so one time, he added Betty Crocker into the blessing.  It was hysterical.

I've made scratch cakes now - I couldn't bring myself to make Betty Crocker when I was making a friend's wedding cake - and honestly?  For regular chocolate or white cake varieties, I still use Betty Crocker.  I make carrot and spice cakes from scratch because they are better.

I totally agree. When it's a basic thing - white, chocolate, even red velvet, I'm a big fan of just using the ding dangity mix - after all, what's different with Betty Crocker measuring out basic dry ingredients or me doing it? But when it's something that benefits from a bit of 'doctoring', I'm all for doing it from scratch, or just adding to the mix - spice cake mix with some extra cinnamon, some carrots freshly shredded, and lots of walnuts and you have a wonderful carrot cake! Save work where you can, and you have more time to focus on the important things (like making scratch frosting - which is a place I really CAN tell the difference between a can and my homemade from scratch buttercream made with real butter and Madagascar vanilla.

ETA: I have found that adding an extra tablespoon of oil to the mix makes the cake mixes infinately superior to their original form - doesn't add much calorie wise, but seems to help moistness. I also like to wrap quick breads in wax paper before they're totally cool, but still in the pan, as they develop this lovely soft layer on top that tastes almost like there's been a glaze added, but it's just the steam condensation changing the texture. Adds zero calories, but makes the whole loaf a bit denser and moister, and intensifies the flavors somehow. Only do it with SWEET breads, though - a savory bread would just be mushy.

[hobish]

I put all the little shreds in a Corningware baking dish, added a little bit of water, just a tablespoon or two, mixed in a little bit of infused olive oil, then baked it for about an hour at 350 or so. Later I defrosted some sausage (broccoli rabe & parmesan sausages – yum) and baked them on top of the potatoes at 400 – covered for another hour. They’re um … well, they are decidedly grey … Gish wouldn’t touch them. Maybe you know what would make them turn grey?

Potatoes turn color on exposure to air. Grate them directly into water. When ready to use, grab the potatoes with your hands and squeeze out the water. Cook immediately.

Ohhhh! LOL, i had it completely backwards, then I am eating them right now and des[ite the color and the lack of any tasty onions or peppers to add they are pretty good. Still not quite mashed, but tasty and pain free.
Thank you!! I still have a few of them left so i will do that next time.

[ladyknight1]

I bake for fun, and occasionally for money. I always use the "Cake Mix Doctor" recipes with Duncan Hines mixes. They are moister and taste delicious from the day they are made until nearly a week later.

I make all frostings from scratch, with real butter, real sugar, real chocolate, and real vanilla paste.

[veryfluffy]

I make mashed potatoes by peeling, quartering and boiling some potatoes with a bit of salt, and then mashing them. I don't add anything. DH likes them plain, sometimes I stir in a bit of horseradish.

I can't use mixes for anything anymore, after reading the ingredients. Making things from scratch means I know exactly what goes in.