Your Mashed Potatoes Will Taste Like Heaven With One Simple Swap
A delicious bowl of mashed potatoes is a delicious bowl of mashed potatoes — whether you're making yours with Yukon Golds or red potatoes, going all out with the add-ins, or sticking to the basic ingredients. It's hard to go wrong when you're sinking a spoon into a creamy, fluffy pile of salted, buttered carbs. But if there's a low-effort, high-reward way to make mashed potatoes even more indulgent, it's a step worth taking.
While it's standard to add cream, milk, or half-and-half after your potatoes are cooked and soft enough to mash, hack your way to the ultimate smooth, rich, light-as-clouds mash by cooking them in half-and-half instead of plain water. This so-obvious-you'll-never-go-back trick gives the taters tons of extra time to soak up richness from the half-and-half, infusing them with the creamy richness the entire time they're cooking, for the ultimate side or a batch to use in a hearty, simple shepherd's pie.
Instead of filling your pot with water, use half-and-half as your liquid, bring to a boil, and cook potato chunks until soft. Then mash to your desired consistency and season as you typically would with salt, butter, etc. Depending on your potato-to-dairy ratio, you may need to drain away some excess liquid — but don't toss it. Keep the liquid reserved in a container somewhere, so as you mash, you can pour some back in as needed for the perfect, super-smooth consistency.
Add fat into the potatoes as they cook for extra richness
Mashed potatoes have a reputation for being indulgent and fat-loaded (which is why they're so delish!) not because of the potatoes themselves, but what we add to them. Counting calories or trying to eat low-fat? While you can certainly find plenty of low-fat ways to make mashed potatoes, it's the high-fat content in the half-and-half or any added sour cream, butter, dairy, etc, that gives the potatoes their velvety smooth texture, so this probably isn't the dish to skimp on! If you've ever had a dry or gummy mashed potato, it was likely crying out for a little extra fat — or was made from a less than ideal potato variety. Using a starchy variety is crucial for high quality mashed potatoes.
TLDR: Don't be afraid of fat in this context. However, if you're going for rich but not quite that rich, use a mixture of half-and-half or water. Vegan or non-dairy? Try this tip with a non-dairy creamer or half-and-half, for an easy swap (keeping in mind, again, the fat content is key here). Looking to wow guests (or yourself!)? Go wild and use whole cream. This is a choose-your-own adventure, so no matter what liquid or ratios you use, you'll be rewarded with a far creamier texture than you'd get from cooking taters in water alone. Enjoy as a side or the main event — this decadent dish can easily take center stage.