# Mash: what's your secret ingredient? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 21, 2008, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mash-whats-your-secret-ingredient/453721 "2008-06-21T21:10:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2008, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mash-whats-your-secret-ingredient/453721/1 "2008-06-21T21:10:38Z")
I’m probably going to do myself mashed potato for lunch tomorrow and I’d like to make it a little bit different. Now I do a mean mustard mash - add coarse-grained French mustard - and adding tartare sauce is also really nice, but I’d like to hear what you add to make your mash special. ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2008, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mash-whats-your-secret-ingredient/453721/2 "2008-06-21T21:19:00Z")
Melt butter over low heat, and add sliced garlic and sliced green onions. Heat for a while, until butter is infused with the flavors. Add to your potatoes, as well as a bit of sour cream and heavy cream. Salt and pepper. Mash 'em up! Mmm. ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2008, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mash-whats-your-secret-ingredient/453721/3 "2008-06-21T22:22:24Z")
The Pioneer Woman puts in cream cheese, and lordy, it’s delicious. ---
**Author:** ![Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harriet_the_Spry)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2008, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mash-whats-your-secret-ingredient/453721/4 "2008-06-21T22:48:30Z")
Saffron. Warm the milk, butter, any other liquid/dairy ingredients you’re using, then crumble in a little saffron to turn the liquid yellow. Add to potatoes. This is delicious! ---
**Author:** ![krisolov](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/krisolov/32/3724_2.png) [@krisolov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/krisolov)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2008, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mash-whats-your-secret-ingredient/453721/5 "2008-06-22T00:04:02Z")
sour cream instead of milk, real butter and minced garlic. Add the garlic when the potatoes are at their hottest so it has a chance to infuse to its maximum. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2008, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mash-whats-your-secret-ingredient/453721/6 "2008-06-22T00:07:20Z")
Roasted garlic whipped potatoes, or for even better mash, Alan Alda. ---
**Author:** ![N.Sane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f19dbf/32.png) [@N.Sane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N.Sane)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2008, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mash-whats-your-secret-ingredient/453721/7 "2008-06-22T02:04:25Z")
After I drain the poatoes, I put them back into the pan and back onto the still-warm burner to let the rest of the water sizzle out. Then I mash them with French or Irish butter and a splash of milk, and–secret ingredient–seasoned salt. They’re not all that fancy, but oh my, they’re good! ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2008, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mash-whats-your-secret-ingredient/453721/8 "2008-06-22T02:06:35Z")
Add a turnip. ---
**Author:** ![Full\_Metal\_Lotus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/df705f/32.png) [@Full\_Metal\_Lotus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Full_Metal_Lotus)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2008, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mash-whats-your-secret-ingredient/453721/9 "2008-06-22T02:25:35Z")
Chop up a medium white onion and add it to the potatoes as they boil. then sour cream, white pepper (fresh ground is best), a little savory and butter… Note… drain the potatoes (don’t remove the onions) and let dry a bit (3 minutes tops) add the other ingrediants and mash with a ricer… there ya go! ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2008, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mash-whats-your-secret-ingredient/453721/10 "2008-06-22T04:42:53Z")
Creamy cucumber salad dressing. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2008, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mash-whats-your-secret-ingredient/453721/11 "2008-06-22T04:52:11Z")
Roasted garlic is great in mashed potatoes. Sometimes I break a stalk of celery and add that to the boiling potatoes. Sometimes I add a bit of chicken flavor base to them, too. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2008, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mash-whats-your-secret-ingredient/453721/12 "2008-06-22T06:59:35Z")
I’m definitely getting a garlic theme here… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2008, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mash-whats-your-secret-ingredient/453721/13 "2008-06-22T07:47:22Z")
Truffle oil ---
**Author:** ![BACI](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ce73a5/32.png) [@BACI](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BACI)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2008, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mash-whats-your-secret-ingredient/453721/14 "2008-06-22T09:14:30Z")
Grated parmesan cheese. Adds an edge. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2008, 9:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mash-whats-your-secret-ingredient/453721/15 "2008-06-22T09:37:10Z")
[QUOTE=BACI] Grated parmesan cheese. Adds an edge. [/QUOTE] Grated cheddar’s more to my taste. ---
**Author:** ![Girl\_From\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3da27b/32.png) [@Girl\_From\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Girl_From_Mars)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2008, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mash-whats-your-secret-ingredient/453721/16 "2008-06-22T10:57:49Z")
I go with a clove of garlic cooked at the same time as the potatoes, with some milk and salt - I’ve also whipped up cannellini beans and mixed them in, or flavoured cottage cheese. You could also make [colcannon](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colcannon). ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2008, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mash-whats-your-secret-ingredient/453721/17 "2008-06-22T11:11:59Z")
Jerusalem artichokes, although they are a bit dear this year. Garlic infused olive oil for some of the butter. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2008, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mash-whats-your-secret-ingredient/453721/18 "2008-06-22T14:01:50Z")
Well, I just crushed some garlic and mixed it in, and very nice it was too. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2008, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mash-whats-your-secret-ingredient/453721/19 "2008-06-22T16:45:45Z")
Add a little too much liquid to the potato flakes, so they aren’t too dry when you microwave them ---
**Author:** ![MikeG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikeg/32/4329_2.png) [@MikeG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeG)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2008, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mash-whats-your-secret-ingredient/453721/20 "2008-06-22T16:48:17Z")
I roast the garlic, then blend that with heavy cream and a bit of chopped parsely or tarragon before adding to the potatoes. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mash-whats-your-secret-ingredient/453721.md?page=2)