Recipes

Evan’s Famous (and Easy) Mashed Potatoes

Posted by Evan on

Mashed potatoes are a go-to side dish for so many dinners, but some people think they are hard to make both tasty and healthy.

Fortunately that’s not true, and the recipe below is an easy way to impress a crowd.

The trick in this recipe is to put freshly chopped onion and garlic in the boiling water with the potatoes, so they become infused with the flavor and it results in an even consistency when mashing.

Ingredients

  • Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes
  • 1 small yellow onion
  • 3-4 garlic cloves
  • 1-2 tsp salt
  • Splashes of half and half
  • Dashes of shredded Parmesan cheese (Kraft is fine)
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter

Steps

  1. Skin the potatoes and chop them into 2-inch cubes. Chop up the garlic and onion too.
  2. Add them to a pot, pour cold water in the pot to cover them by at least an inch, and heat the pot on a stovetop at medium-high heat.
  3. Bring the pot to a boil, and occasionally stir the potatoes around to keep the heating even.
  4. Boil until the potatoes are soft and can be easily split with a cooking spoon or fork.
    • Depending on the amount of water and potatoes, it could take ~20-30 minutes once boiling.
  5. When the potatoes are done, drain them and leave them in the pot. Be careful not to lose the onions while draining.
  6. To the pot, add the butter, a splash of half and half, a sprinkle of Parmesan, and a sprinkle of salt.
  7. Using a mashing tool, squash and mix the ingredients. To speed up the mixing, you can also move the potato masher in a circular motion in the pot between mashes.
    • If the mixture looks a little dry, add some more half and half. If it needs more salt, add a little more. If it needs more cheese, go for it. Keep mixing, mashing, and tasting until it has the right balance of salt and cream.

With the infused garlic and onion from the pot, the only challenge is in getting the right balance of half and half and salt at the end. But it depends on how many potatoes you include, so err on the side of safety so you don’t end up adding too much as you go.

These mashed potatoes are my go-to side dish when entertaining a group. I hope this recipe ends up being a great side dish for your dinners too!

Pictured here is a roast chicken with Brussels sprouts alongside the mashed potatoes.