I’m sitting here now eating an entire bowl of Betty Crocker Sour Cream ‘n’ Chives mashed potato mix (cooked, of course. I’m not eating the straight mix :wally ). They are absolutely delicious. Everyone says “Ewww! Boxed potatoes!” until they actually try it. I challenge you to try them, too.
Adam
Boxed mashed potatoes are a staple in the Mango household. There have been many times that the cupboard has been bare, except for some milk, boxed mashed potatoes and whatever seasonings we’ve had in the cupboard, and I’ve made a rather nice potato soup out of the above listed ingredients.
Of course, this has led to the belief on my mother’s part that I have the ability to make food out of nothing. I tease her that we must always have instant mashed potatoes on hand so that I have some nothing to make food out of.
Instant mashed potatoes weren’t always this good, were they? Seems like they’ve made improvements over the years. Or maybe I just have lower standards than I used to. Either way, Betty Crocker Roasted Garlic mashed potatoes kick ass.
Well, I’ve been eating this same kind of boxed mashed potatoes for about two years now. I’ve never tried boxed mashed potatoes before this, so I don’t know if this is an improvement or not.
Adam
I find that using chicken stock or vegetarian chicken-flavored stock in boxed mashed potatoes makes them a lot better. I keep kosher, so when I’m making mashed potatoes to go with a meat meal, I use chicken stock instead of milk (and olive oil instead of butter). When I’m making them for a dairy meal, I use vegetarian chicken stock in place of some of the water.
I’ve never had boxed mashed potatoes, until last year, when my FIL served some while we were visiting for dinner. I had no idea they were boxed, I thought they were just mashed potatoes - and good ones, at that!
Now I only buy real potatoes if I have something specific in mind, like fries or homemade hashbrowns. Or these little potato medallions I cover in cheese and bacon and green onion… mmm.
I’m a lover of boxed potatoes.
I would have stood in a court of law and sworn that boxed mashed potatoes were, if not the antichrist, then certainly what the antichrist would eat, a year ago. My best friend repeatedly urged me to try the Betty Crocker brand, telling me over and over that “these ain’t Potato Buds… they’re good!” Finally, one day the combination of her endorsement and some ridiculously good coupon broke my will, and I bought a box.
I haven’t yet worked up the nerve to serve them to company, but for everyday family dinners, they’ve become something of a staple.
Mashed potatoes in general are delicious! I’d eat 'em from a box.
They’re easy to make from scratch, too. I’ve made them well enough to get the girlfriend to paw at me! Boil, mash, salt, pepper, milk, butter. Works like a charm.
I definitely prefer homemade to any boxed brand I’ve tried, but the difference in taste is not usually enough to make it worth the difference in effort.
As a result, I make homemade only when I’m planning to spend lots of time cooking anyway, like Thanksgiving dinner. Otherwise, it’s instant.
There was one really cheap brand that I used to buy, and it was the ONLY mashed potatoes our son would eat. It was also literally one of a handful of foods he would eat at all, so I usually had a couple of boxes on hand. Then they stopped making them. 
I haven’t found anything we like as much since then, though.
You can get a 25 pound bag of Missouri grown batsami rice for $12.50. Why on earth would you make boxed mashed potatoes, which run upwards of 40 cents an ounce for the flavored varieties and about 15 cents for the low-rung basic kind?
Instant potatoes cook in 2 minutes and (for me) digest better than rice when my stomach is off. I lived on mashed potatoes and oatmeal for about a week when I had a vicious stomach flu. I bought a big box of the stuff for super-cheap at a warehouse store.
That’s mostly what my instant potato consumption is limited to, though - “I need food now!”, comfort food, and sick-time food.
Sometimes I crave mashed potatoes, but don’t want to take the time and effort to make them from scratch.
Mashed potatoes was one of the five things I could handle eating the first three months of my pregnancy. Considering I could make them in the microwave in less than 3 minutes (the smell of cooking made me turn green–even boiling potatoes), and I could make them entirely out of milk, getting that little bit of protein and calcium I needed, well, boxed mashed potatoes won out.
Personnally, I’ve always liked food from a box: rice, potatos, cereal, etc.
The Betty Crocker garlic variety makes a good topping for shepherd’s pie. Just brown some ground beef, drain, and throw in frozen mixed vegetables and some gravy. Throw that into a casserole, top with mashed potatoes, and throw in the oven. (This is a throw-together recipe, obviously. ;))
Robin
If it’s just straight mashed 'taters, the box kind are yucky to me (yes I’ve tried those garlicky Better Crocker ones), I prefer mine lumpy and creamy and buttery.
Now if I’m cooking with mashed potatoes, like making sheperd’s pie or my mom’s glop (fried onions and ground beef mixed with mashed potatoes), I prefer the boxed type.
Have you tried the frozen mashed potato nuggets? I get the store brand ones at Safeway. You just add water or milk and nuke 'em. No boxed taste; just about like homemade, but without lumps. I still make them from scratch, when properly motivated, but for a quick side dish, you can’t beat 'em!
I used to think that boxed mashed potatoes were the work of (AntiChrist, Devil, New World Order, Cthulhu, whatever you think is the most evil thing in the world. I won’t name mine) til I moved in with my husband and his family. Well, have YOU ever made mashed potatoes from scratch for 10 people on a regular basis? We get this brand called Paradise Valley from Costco, and they taste absolutely wonderful.
Um, that’s what we had for dinner tonight. Along with steak, salad and a bake-at-home bun. Yummy dinner.
I toss in a wee extra garlic, use olive oil instead of butter, and throw in dried or fresh chives.
I would never have the patience to peel, boil, mash and season potatoes from scratch. Sorry, but I’m a working gal, and there isn’t the time.
Plus, I’m embarrassed to admit, the one time I boiled potatoes, they just turned into potato-flavoured mushy water. Wrong kinda potatoes, I’m led to believe now, but it’s prevented me from trying again.
Wah! I can’t boil potatoes!
I like the bagged Idahoan ones. No butter or oil needed…just add hot water. I usually make half a bag or so and then stir in a can of cut green beans. I’ve also been known to make mashed potatoes and green bean burritos. A little smear of sour cream, maybe a bit of chopped onion and mashed pos w green beans, all on a flour tortilla.
Who da hoe’n?
I da hoe’n.