12-Minute Mashed Potatoes
I love mashed potatoes. Who doesn’t? But I have to say, we didn’t used to eat them very often on a weeknight. I considered them high maintenance, something you saved for Sunday dinner or a holiday. But L loves them so much that I decided to try to come up with a way to make them in just a few minutes. I was successful, and I want to share my method with you. Because – mashed potatoes in 12 minutes? Yes.
There’s really nothing genius about it. Nothing new. But here’s the story.
A few years back, at a craft show I was working for my friend Sarah, I encountered a woman selling “microwave baked potato bags.” They were simple bags sewn from cotton towels – the floursack or woven kind (not terry cloth). The woman selling them claimed they kept potatoes from drying up and shrinking while in the microwave. Now, here’s the thing: she was right, but you don’t need to buy or sew a cotton bag to use the concept. You just need to wrap your potatoes in a cotton towel. That’s it. 8-10 minutes in the microwave, depending on the size of the potato, and you’re ready to go.
I’m not a big microwave user. I prefer the stove. I really only use the microwave to warm up individual servings of leftovers and to melt butter. But for cooked potatoes in a jiffy, I was game.
I began using this method for twice-baked potatoes, but then it dawned on me that I could probably make mashed potatoes this way too, without having to boil the potatoes in water first. So I did, and I do. These are perfect mashed potatoes for busy nights, and no one in your family will ever guess that the microwave was involved.
12-Minute Mashed Potatoes
3 large russet potatoes
2-3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 to 1/2 cup milk, half ‘n’ half or heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
Scrub the potatoes well under cold running water, until no more dirt is visible. Pierce each one a few times with a small, sharp knife. Wrap them in a clean cotton towel.
Microwave on high 8-10 minutes, checking them after about 6 minutes and every minute or so thereafter until they are tender and can be pierced with a fork, but are not overcooked or shrinking away from their skins on the inside. *Note: Make sure you check the centers by driving the fork in deeply.
Unwrap, and cut into eighths. If you can’t abide bits of potato skin in your mashed potatoes, then cut them in half lengthwise and scoop out the insides. Be careful not to burn your fingers – they’ll be hot!
Place in the bowl of a mixer. Add the butter. With the mixer on low to medium, gradually add the milk, beating until the potatoes are fluffy and creamy. If you like chunky mashed potatoes, leave some chunks in there. Beat in salt and pepper a little at a time, tasting as you go.
Serves 4.
Here’s the printable version. Happy Thursday!
