Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes Recipe - Crunchy Creamy Sweet (2024)

FAQs

Should you use milk instead of water for instant mashed potatoes? ›

Most instant potato varieties call for you to combine the potatoes with water, but if you want your potatoes to taste a bit more indulgent, use milk instead. Whole milk will yield delightfully rich potatoes, but 2 percent milk works well too.

Throwing in a cold stick of butter and a splash of milk straight from the refrigerator will immediately cool down some of the spuds, which will prevent a creamy, smooth mash. If you take the time to slowly heat milk or heavy cream and butter in a small saucepan on the stove, you'll have much better results.

You can slightly improve the taste by adding seasoning like a pinch of salt or nutmeg, chopped herbs like chives, a knob of butter, a spoonful or two of crème fraîche or sour cream, use half milk instead of all-water, or maybe some grated cheese depending on the dish, but the texture still won't compare to homemade ...

As with a slow cooker, dairy products don't do super well in an Instant Pot. The quick-heat function can make milk curdle or scald, or make cheese clump together. If you're making something creamy, try stirring the dairy products in at the end after the pressure cooking has been done.

Swap Out the Water

Instantly add flavor by replacing half or all of the water with an equal amount of chicken broth. Rest assured—your potatoes won't end up tasting like chicken! In fact, when you mix the potato flakes with the warm broth, the result is a creamier, more buttery-tasting bowl of spuds.

Instead of regular milk, pro chefs generally use a generous helping of buttermilk and plenty of half-and-half or (even better) heavy cream in their potatoes. If you think the bartenders up front are pouring heavy, they've got nothing on the cooks in the back who are in charge of the mashed potatoes.

Thick-skinned varieties like russets will give you the fluffiest results. Steer clear of waxy red-skinned potatoes, which turn gluey when mashed. If it's too late to make the swap, change course and roast the potatoes tossed with oil, garlic and some fresh rosemary if you have it, instead of boiling them.

As already discussed, pastiness is caused by too much potato starch being worked into the mashed potatoes. The main way we combat this problem is by rinsing away starch, both before and after cooking potatoes for fluffy mashed potatoes. Rinsing off starch means that there is less of it that can end up in the dish.

Why do old potatoes taste sweet? That would be because the natural amylase in the potato has turned some of the starch into sugar. Old potatoes are best used for mash, because the sugar burns too much for fries.

Among them are dairy and fried foods, as well as burgers and steaks. These foods are not Instant-Pot-friendly for a multitude of reasons. And while Instant Pots are a useful tool when baking cheesecake, custard, or mousse, it's definitely not the best method for other types of desserts.

Can you make Idahoan instant mashed potatoes with milk instead of water? ›

Note: For a creamier mashed potato, stir in additional hot water or milk. Less salt can be added if desired. Note: All microwaves vary and heating times may have to be adjusted. Combine water, salt, and margarine* according to chart below in microwave-safe serving bowl.

Prep Instructions

Heat water, milk and margarine* according to the chart below in a sauce pan to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in Idahoan REAL Premium. Let stand one minute. Mix with fork and serve.

Instead of using liquid milk, you can add dry milk powder to the mashed potato mixture. Check the package instructions of the dry milk powder for the appropriate amount to use per serving or follow a general guideline of approximately 1/4 cup of dry milk powder for every 1 cup of water.

Pour 1 c (240 mL) of water and 0.5 c (120 mL) of milk into a large microwave-safe bowl. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon (1 g) of salt and 1 1/2 tablespoons (21 g) of butter or margarine. Substitute the milk with chicken stock, vegetable stock, or extra water for a dairy-free option.