While the centerpieces of the holiday meals are glazed hams and roasted turkeys, nothing comes close to the classic warming comforts of a large bowl brimming with mashed potatoes. Simple butter, milk, salt, and pepper are a tried-and-true go-to version; but a lot of people on the subreddit r/Cooking shared ways to really inject a special feeling into these humble mashed spuds.
Herbal Bath
“Throw a spring or two of fresh rosemary in the water when you boil the potatoes.” — CatfishWasHere/r/Cooking
Divide And Conquer
“You could make your usual mashed, split them into two dishes, and leave one plain. And top the other “loaded” style, with cheddar, crumbled bacon, scallion, and sour cream. That way your in-laws get their plain version, and you get something a little extra without too much extra work.” — KarbMonster/r/Cooking
Swap With Stock
“You could cook the potatoes in broth instead of water. We find using chicken broth really adds a lot of flavor to the potatoes.” — CherryblockRedWine/r/Cooking
Bypass Boiling
“I find the potatoes are more flavorful when they aren’t boiled, so I roast the potatoes in their skins, baked potato-style. While they are still warm (but not too hot to handle safely), I slice them in half and scoop the flesh into a food mill to purée them, though you should be able to use whatever tool you prefer. Then I add an unreasonable amount of European butter, some heavy cream or buttermilk, and salt and pepper to taste. They still look and taste enough like regular mashed potatoes to satisfy traditionalists, but whenever I make them, I get unsolicited compliments from my guests.
If you don’t want to roast, I think boiling in milk or even steaming is better than boiling in water. Boiling in milk adds some creaminess and also affords you the opportunity to add seasonings like garlic or rosemary.” — WitnessTheBadger/r/Cooking
Heat Before Adding
“Heat butter and cream before adding to potatoes.” — cofeeholik75/r/Cooking
Infusions
“Get some fresh chives and put them in the butter and cream (milk, whatever), and then warm them over the stove together. Remove the chives before adding the milk and cream mixture to the potatoes.”
— MikeOKurias/r/Cooking
Silky Smooth
“Pass through a sieve. It’s extra work, but the result is amazing. It tastes like a luxury.” — JoeyDanger/r/Cooking
Aromatic Additions
“Sautéed leeks. When I buy leeks for soup or pot pie, I save any leftovers and freeze them to add to mashed potatoes. Make sure you rinse them, though, before using them. Sautéed the leeks in the butter you use for the mashed potatoes. Then add the potatoes and whatever else you add (I use milk or cream) and mash.” — Crematia/r/Cooking
Not Just For Tiramisu
“Use mascarpone cheese instead of or with sour cream. It’s decadently rich and creamy. Game-changing.” — jamaicanadiens/r/Cooking
Befriend Butter
“However, much butter you usually use, double it.” — Meagasus/r/Cooking
A Bit Of Crunch
“I like to fry a bunch of breadcrumbs in browned butter, nice and brown, and either put them on top or swirl them in.” — hover-lovecraft/r/Cooking
For Silky Creamy Potatoes
“Add an egg. Or 2 if you are making a lot. This adds to the richness and keeps them fluffy.” — Hotsauce4ever/r/Cooking
A Bit Of Spice
“A dash of mustard powder. It freaks people out, but they love it.” — James324285241990/r/Cooking
A Diary Diversion
“For holidays, my mom would use a can of evaporated milk to replace regular milk. There was a richness to them that was lovely. The potatoes were “normal” except for that swap. Potatoes, butter, milk, salt, and pepper.” — xiewadu/r/Cooking