How Sunny Anderson Transforms Store-Bought Mashed Potatoes With Just 3 Ingredients

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When you want mashed potatoes on the menu, but don't want to go through the whole process of boiling and mashing and getting the additives just right, you can always turn to store-bought, pre-made mashed potatoes, or even dried, instant potatoes. If you think they're just too bland when made according to the instructions on the package, there are some amazing tips to level up your store-bought mashed potatoes. For a super simple recipe to go from store-bought to restaurant-worthy, we can turn to Sunny Anderson, co-host of Food Network's "The Kitchen" and New York Times best-selling author of "Sunny's Kitchen." And all it takes is three ingredients: butter, garlic, and scallions.

Anderson is known for cooking classic American comfort foods with an eye to simplicity, often using partially prepared ingredients to make full, hearty meals or elevating store-bought, packaged ingredients into the arena of gourmet. So, she is just the expert we need to upgrade store-bought mashed potatoes into an appropriately delicious side dish. With this quick trick, you can have incredible mashed potatoes on the table in just a few minutes. You'll be amazed at the transformation from cold and dry to rich and creamy with an added kick of pungent flavor.

Sunny Anderson recommends starting with garlic-flavored, refrigerated mashed potatoes, but you'll still get plenty of flavor with the regular kind, like Bob Evans Original Mashed Potatoes, for example. However, instead of simply microwaving the package, you're going to heat it up on the stovetop. Start by melting some butter in a pot, then stir in the mashed potatoes. From here, you'll grate some fresh garlic and mix it in, then top with chopped scallions once they're ready to serve. It's super simple and tastes just like homemade, thick and buttery with amazing garlic flavor. They make a great complement to your next perfectly pan-seared steak or foolproof pan-roasted chicken. But this hack also works for a quick snack when the spud craving hits.

This preparation can even work with dried, boxed mashed potatoes, but you may need to add a little extra milk or water to get them appropriately reconstituted before adding the garlic. The boxed version may not trick your guests into thinking they're homemade, but the flavors are undeniable. If you want even more flavor on your mash, you can go the full, loaded route with sour cream and bacon, or transform your instant mashed potatoes even more with roasted garlic and miso. But when it comes to the ultimate in a simplistic upgrade to your store-bought mashed potatoes, you can trust Sunny Anderson for a quick transformation that you're likely to return to time and time again.