chunky mashed potatoes

What do you serve with BBQ ribs? Mashed potatoes, of course. There's just no question.

Mashed potatoes are one of those great comfort/soul foods that are high in flavor and satisfaction yet low on cost. Sure, making mashed potatoes seems elementary enough but I'm sure there's at least a handful of you who have never done it before. Mashed potatoes are one of those things that you think you'll just innately know how to make... until you go to do it and then you're like, "uh, what goes in here?" Because if you've ever been there, you know that just mashing up potatoes by themselves isn't all that good.

So, when it comes to mashed potatoes, the more fat you put in there, the better they taste... that's just the rule of the universe. But you also need liquid to facilitate mashing and a good dose of seasoning. I tried to be good and added a scant 2 Tbsp of butter as my fat, some light sour cream for my "liquid" and some garlic, green onion, salt and pepper for seasoning. I kept it simple this go-around because I wanted my ribs to be the star of this week's meal.

You can also try adding: stock or broth, cream, buttermilk, crumbled bacon, fresh herbs, smoked paprika or a variety of cheeses. The sky is the limit.

Oh yeah, and if it's not obvious by now, I'm a chunky mashed potato kind of girl. I left the beautiful red skins on my potatoes and only half-mashed them for optimum texture. If you're looking for a homogenous, textureless, white goop that may or may not have been potatoes at one time, you won't find them here.





Total Recipe cost: $3.49
Servings Per Recipe: 8
Cost per serving: $0.44
Prep time: 20 min. Cook time: 15 min. Total: 35 min.

INGREDIENTS		COST
3 lbs.	red skinned potatoes	$2.21
2 Tbsp	butter	$0.08
2/3 cup	sour cream	$0.91
1 clove	garlic	$0.07
4 whole	green onions	$0.17
to taste	salt and pepper	$0.05
TOTAL		$3.49

STEP 1: Wash your potatoes well, making sure to get any dirt or grime out of the crevices. Cut the potatoes into one inch cubes.

STEP 2: Place the diced potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Bring the pot to a rapid boil over high heat. Allow the potatoes to boil until they are very tender when pierced with a fork. My batch took about 15 minutes but every batch will be different. Begin testing with a fork after boiling for about ten minutes.

STEP 3: While the potatoes are boiling, finely mince the garlic and slice the green onions. Drain the cooked potatoes in a colander and return them to the warm pot (heat turned off).

STEP 4: Add the butter, sour cream, garlic, green onions, salt and freshly cracked black pepper to the pot. Mash everything together. Taste the potatoes and adjust the seasoning to your liking. I started with 1/2 tsp of salt for the 3 lbs. of potatoes but ended up using around 1 tsp. If you are using broth or bouillon, you will not need as much salt.

Step By Step Photos

Make sure to wash your potatoes well. You don't want gritty mash. No sir.


Cut the potatoes into one inch cubes and then place in a large pot. Add enough water to cover the potatoes. Bring the pot to a boil over high heat. Let the potatoes boil until they are very soft and fall apart when pierced with a fork.


Make sure the potatoes are very tender before draining in a colander. Under cooked potatoes will not mash.


Return the drained potatoes to the warm pot (burner off) and add the butter, sour cream, sliced green onions, minced garlic, salt and pepper.


Mash and mash and mash until everything is mixed and the potatoes are sufficiently broken down. Give it all a taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking. I started with 1/2 tsp of salt but kept adding more until I got to around 1 tsp but go by your own taste buds. BTW, I have chronically forgotten to buy a potato masher over the past ten years so I just made use of a big wooden fork which I believe is intended for pasta. Not owning a potato masher is no longer a valid excuse.


These potatoes have tons of flavor, texture and belly-filling goodness.

What's your favorite add-in for mashed potatoes?