It doesn’t matter what main dish you are putting on the table, mashed potatoes are always going to be the star. It can be a difficult issue, especially if you seem to end up with lumpy, lackluster potatoes. Regardless of whether it is a Thanksgiving meal or if it is just dinner with the family, it’s a classic that you don’t want to skimp on.
One of the issues with mashed potatoes that most people deal with is that they don’t reheat well. One of the main problems is that the butter in the potato hardens when they are left in the refrigerator. This can create some questions because butter is what makes mashed potatoes a crowdpleaser in the first place. The culinary director of Food & Wine, Justin Chappel says that all is not lost.
A recent installment of Mad Genius Tips, his video series points out the secret ingredient that is not often used for the best premade mashed potatoes. Believe it or not, you might already have it on hand. I’m talking about mayonnaise.
In a typical recipe, Chappel uses 1 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter for every 4 pounds of Yukon gold potatoes and then he throws in one cup of mayonnaise. It doesn’t have a serious impact on the flavor but it does keep the potatoes creamy.
In order to prove his tip is worth its weight, he drops his spoon into two refrigerated mashed potato bowls, one with mayonnaise and one without. The spoon dropped into the potatoes with mayonnaise sinks in and the other bounces off.
You can see it for yourself in this video: