# Tell me why I'm wrong about mashed potatoes. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 11, 2019, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-why-im-wrong-about-mashed-potatoes/835384 "2019-06-11T17:28:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2019, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-why-im-wrong-about-mashed-potatoes/835384/61 "2019-06-12T00:55:10Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > I can only assume you’ve gone through life so far without ever having been served \*good \*mashed potatoes, because they are quite lovely when made right. Agreed. The basic recipe is about as simple as can be but slight variations can make a big difference in quality and texture. I’m a big fan of all forms of potato, but mashed is essential for dishes involving gravy, like roast beef and turkey. I cannot imagine a roast beef dinner or turkey and stuffing without a big dollop of mashed potatoes! There’s a sort of boutique grocery store around here that sells really wonderful garlic mashed potatoes that I’ll sometimes buy as a labor-saving measure if I’m making a complicated dinner, but being pretentiously upscale they price the stuff rather outrageously. But it’s certainly one way to get consistent excellence! ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2019, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-why-im-wrong-about-mashed-potatoes/835384/62 "2019-06-12T01:15:05Z")
> [@Spud](#): > > I beg to differ… that is what I made for dinner last night (on purpose). Burger grilled over an apple wood fire with a side of mashed potatoes with lots of butter, bacon bits, and salt and pepper. Same. I make 'em with a lot of butter, a good amount of milk, chives and horseradish sauce and serve them with burgers or roast chicken. Never have any left despite using a whole 5lb sack of potatoes to make them. ---
**Author:** ![Tzigone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Tzigone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tzigone)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2019, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-why-im-wrong-about-mashed-potatoes/835384/63 "2019-06-12T01:25:09Z")
> [@](#): > > This and the others who are upset about au gratin or scalloped potatoes (not the same thing) I just don’t get. How can you go wrong adding cheese and/or dairy to potato slices and baking it? I like cheesy potatoes. It’s the onion that doesn’t work for me. For me onion is a seasoning, not a food to eat as a vegetable. I often prefer powdered to avoid the texture. I do like mashed potatoes, though. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2019, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-why-im-wrong-about-mashed-potatoes/835384/64 "2019-06-12T02:09:16Z")
The texture is what makes mashed taters wonderful. IMHO I’ve always loved that buttery, smooth goodness in my mouth. I don’t like course stuff like bacon bits in my mash. It saddens me that my favorite side dish is unhealthy. We don’t make it too often anymore. Only for special family dinners. . ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2019, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-why-im-wrong-about-mashed-potatoes/835384/65 "2019-06-12T02:17:21Z")
Peel two potatoes and sliver them down on the mandolin side of your box grater (I know you own one). Put half of them in the bottom of a buttered baking dish. Salt & pepper and a quarter cup of shredded Gruyere (other side of that same box grater). Layer the other half of the potatoes on top, more S&P, and another quarter cup of cheese. Now pour over some strong beef or chicken stock until the potatoes are just submerged. Cover and put into a 400 oven for a half hour, then uncover and give it another 20 minutes or so, just until the stock is absorbed and the cheese browned and everything is bubbly. Take it out, wait twenty minutes to cool and congeal, and serve. Congratulations, you’ve just made an easy _Gratin Savoyard,_ and you can call yourself a French Chef. ---
**Author:** ![Spud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spud/32/347_2.png) [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2019, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-why-im-wrong-about-mashed-potatoes/835384/66 "2019-06-12T02:36:45Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I don’t like course stuff like bacon bits in my mash. My normal go to is just butter (way too much for a healthy diet), salt and pepper but sometimes I’ll toss in a bit of bacon, chives, and/or grated sharp cheddar. Same with baked… I rarely go with a “loaded” option but every now and then it is a good complement to the meal. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2019, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-why-im-wrong-about-mashed-potatoes/835384/67 "2019-06-12T06:30:04Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I don’t like course stuff like bacon bits in my mash. Probably don’t like coarse stuff, either. 😛😉 ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2019, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-why-im-wrong-about-mashed-potatoes/835384/68 "2019-06-12T06:46:16Z")
> [@MacTech](#): > > Mashed potatoes can be your friends… 🎶 _Dare to be stupid! xxxDare to be stupid!_ 🎶 ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2019, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-why-im-wrong-about-mashed-potatoes/835384/69 "2019-06-12T07:58:28Z")
i think unless they have cheese on then the only good potato is one thats fried in some manner…recently my aunt didnt make potato salad for a bbq/holiday for the first time in her life and the world rejoiced … ---
**Author:** ![Ashtura](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ashtura/32/2963_2.png) [@Ashtura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashtura)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2019, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-why-im-wrong-about-mashed-potatoes/835384/70 "2019-06-12T14:58:44Z")
Why? Some people just hate stuff. I hate green peppers (they taste like ear wax to me), my wife loves them. I have no desire to gain an appreciation for them, nor convince her that they’re bad. Nobody’s gonna like everything. ---
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2019, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-why-im-wrong-about-mashed-potatoes/835384/71 "2019-06-12T17:06:00Z")
For those of you who do like mashed potatoes here’s two things to try: First, grab that bottle of horseradish you have sitting in the fridge (You know you do) and add a healthy heaping tablespoon to your pot along with your butter/sour cream/Greek yogourt/Gruyere/whathaveyou. Second, make[Pommes Aligot](https://www.tastingtable.com/cook/recipes/Pommes-Aligot-Recipe). You’re welcome. OP: It’s not about the mash itself but more about what it’s with. Make’em rustic, leave the skins on and you’ll get a mix of flavours and textures. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2019, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-why-im-wrong-about-mashed-potatoes/835384/72 "2019-06-12T17:15:12Z")
> [@Alpha\_Twit](#): > > Part of my problem with these is that they are so often done _badly_. Cheap, fake cheese tops the list of insults here. I love good, rich potato casserole but if you’re going to eat the calories, don’t half ass it. Use good ingredient, good technique and make it a proper treat. This statement is very spot on. As for the OP: don’t give up on the genre of mashed taters until you’ve tried a good skins included country style version. That solves the bland texture issue. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2019, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-why-im-wrong-about-mashed-potatoes/835384/73 "2019-06-12T17:24:07Z")
Concur with those noting the broad variability of the quality of Au Gratin and Scalloped dishes. Even at high end steakhouses, I’ve found a ton of “interpretations” that simply aren’t that great. Surprisingly, the out of the box kind with the powdered cheese are actually pretty decent. Certainly the cheese has that processed artificial flavor which some people hate, I get that, but they have the benefit of being dehydrated and always having a really uniform slice which leads to a really nice uniform texture and coherence of the potato matrix once cooked. Too many fresh made versions are basically boiled potato chunks of varying size swimming in bland cream with or without cheese. Those are a waste of time. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2019, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-why-im-wrong-about-mashed-potatoes/835384/74 "2019-06-12T22:01:56Z")
Why should I tell you you’re wrong about mashed potatoes? You simply don’t like them. That’s your opinion. I like them. That’s my opinion. A person’s like or dislike of mashed potatoes is not an indication of his or her character. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2019, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-why-im-wrong-about-mashed-potatoes/835384/75 "2019-06-12T22:54:06Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > Christmas dinner is a stressful affair because my mom always insists on making mashed potatoes. Doesn’t matter that there will be mac and cheese, dressing, corn soufle, and dinner rolls on the table for folks to carb up on. She believes that we can’t celebrate Christmas without mashed potatoes. So she puts me to work peeling potatoes when I’d love nothing more than to help her with something else. > > I wouldn’t mind this if people actually ate the mashed potatoes. But they always go untouched and then tossed into the garbage. I think if they were the only starch served, then we would eat them. But who is going to put mashed potatoes on their plate when they can have baked mac and cheese? There ain’t enough gravy in the world to put mashed potatoes on the same level as baked mac and cheese. I hate mac and cheese. I think it’s partly an association with my Catholic girlhood where I was poor and our meatless Friday dish was typically mac and cheese. I’d never choose it over buttery mashed potatoes. Re: the OP. Texas Toast is something I consider unnecessary. Too much starch for the surface flavors to balance out. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2019, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-why-im-wrong-about-mashed-potatoes/835384/76 "2019-06-12T23:01:33Z")
Missed my edit window: Chez Jay in Santa Monica puts banana in their mashed potatoes. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2019, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-why-im-wrong-about-mashed-potatoes/835384/77 "2019-06-12T23:32:53Z")
“Tell me why I’m wrong about mashed potatoes.” Because not only are you a twit, you’re an alpha twit. ---
**Author:** ![Alpha\_Twit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alpha_twit/32/265_2.png) [@Alpha\_Twit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alpha_Twit)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2019, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-why-im-wrong-about-mashed-potatoes/835384/78 "2019-06-13T00:30:30Z")
> [@JcWoman](#): > > This is the solution the OP is looking for. Sometimes they’re called “rustic style”. (Or maybe that’s just what I call them.) Sometimes I’ll even leave some or all of the peel on the potatoes, scored before cooking so that they end up as little bits of peel and not a huge lump. They say most of the vitamins and minerals are in the skin, so why not keep it in for that reason as well as texture? > > Also, use a manual masher. > [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > As for the OP: don’t give up on the genre of mashed taters until you’ve tried a good skins included country style version. That solves the bland texture issue. > [@swampspruce](#): > > OP: It’s not about the mash itself but more about what it’s with. Make’em rustic, leave the skins on and you’ll get a mix of flavours and textures. I’m surprised at the number of people who assumed I never tried this. That’s an obvious evolution for those seeking more a interesting texture. When I’m cooking for others and make mashed, I always leave the peels on before mashing with a manual masher. Sometimes I add chives but I actually prefer to scoop the mashed into their serving piece then top with crispy fried onions. > [@carrps](#): > > Re: the OP. Texas Toast is something I consider unnecessary. Too much starch for the surface flavors to balance out. Hey, if you don’t wan’t it, I’ll snarf it. ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2019, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-why-im-wrong-about-mashed-potatoes/835384/79 "2019-06-13T00:56:33Z")
> [@NDP](#): > > A person’s like or dislike of mashed potatoes is not an indication of his or her character. Are you serious? Of course it is! ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2019, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-why-im-wrong-about-mashed-potatoes/835384/80 "2019-06-13T01:23:34Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > Mashed potatoes are like scarecrows; they’re outstanding in their field:p > > But seriously, mp are a separate entity and are just right for certain things and not allowed for others. Nobody wants a mountain of potato fluff whilst they’re eating a cheeseburger. Conversely, it is verboten to have french fries with roasted turkey. > > Regarding baked potatoes, **Gus Gusterson’s** comment had me wondering if I’m eating them incorrectly. I cut them open and plop some butter and salt and then use my forth to smoosh it all together, hence making what is essentially mashed potatoes in the skin bowl. > > **And yes, potatoes au gratin can indeed fuck off.** I used to feel **that** way about scalloped potatoes, such that toasting some grated cheese on top was the only way that I didn’t think they were too dry. I’ve since modified my views (but I still enjoy potatoes au gratin). In hindsight, considering how many foods I like much better now that I’m the one cooking them, I think that, while she did some things perfectly, my sainted mother was only okay at general cooking. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-why-im-wrong-about-mashed-potatoes/835384.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-why-im-wrong-about-mashed-potatoes/835384.md?page=5)