13 Ways To Give Boxed Mashed Potatoes That Homemade Taste

I was raised on boxed mashed potatoes. I loved the magic of them, how they poured out like little snowflakes and turned, with just a few minutes of stirring, into a lovely bowl of mashed potatoes. They were an absolute staple for my family, both because of convenience and because it produces some seriously tasty results — if prepared correctly.

From-scratch believers are usually skeptical about the deliciousness of boxed mashed potatoes. While I do recognize the merits of a freshly mashed potato, I will also defend the tastiness of a boxed spud until the end of days. It's just that the key to truly delicious boxed mashed potatoes comes not from the instructions on the back of the box, but from the little touches you add. To help get those creative juices flowing, we gathered 13 of the best tips and tricks to take your boxed mashed potatoes from cardboard to nearly homemade. In the end, you might just be a believer yet.

Instead of using water or milk to make boxed mashed potatoes, try using chicken broth. This gives your spuds a lovely, savory flavor that elevates this convenient dinnertime shortcut. This is a great hack for those serving their mash with a chicken dish. Opt for unsalted broth for better control over the saltiness of your side dish. You can also use vegetable broth if you prefer a vegetarian option.

Soft, crumbly, and often infused with herbs and seasonings, Boursin cheese is a boon to many dishes, especially creamy pastas. This helpfulness extends to boxed mashed potatoes. Adding a few tablespoons (or the whole wheel) of Boursin cheese to instant mash adds extra creaminess and flavor. I like the Garlic and Fine Herbs flavor, or the Caramelized Onion and Herbs for a bit of extra zip. This is best added at the end of the cooking process, along with the called-for butter.

The small things matter. Sometimes, all your dish needs is a final flourish to make it pop, and a lovely sprinkling of chopped chives is just what boxed mashed potatoes need to feel truly homemade. You can also stir chives into your potatoes for chive flavor with every bite. Make sure to go with fresh chives since dried chives don't have that same punch of flavor.

Mayonnaise can be controversial, but if you aren't completely mayo-averse, it works wonders in mashed potatoes made from scratch. It adds a similar creaminess to the boxed variety. Add it toward the end of your potato preparation, stir, and serve. You can add whatever brand you like, but go for Kewpie mayo if you want extra egg yolk goodness. Duke's also adds a lovely richness, and Southern flair, that is downright irresistible.

Don't throw out that bacon fat! It has a smoky, meaty flavor that enhances whatever food it's mixed into, and it can seriously enhance that blasé box of mashed potatoes in your cupboard. Add in lieu of, or in addition to, butter for a hint of bacon flavor. If you have bacon on hand, you can also add in some chopped bacon. This gives your dish a bit more heft and richness. No one would guess that these spuds were boxed.

Creamy, tangy, and delicious — there's nothing quite like cream cheese to add extra oomph to mashed potatoes. Whether homemade or from the box, it's a great shortcut to a rich bowl. Add it alongside butter to your potato mixture and watch your taters go from blah to dreamy.

The light, tangy taste of sour cream melds perfectly with starchy, buttery mashed potatoes. When added to boxed mashed potatoes, sour cream adds a light, creamy texture that really elevates the powdered mix. Pair with chives for a batch of mashed potatoes styled after baked potatoes.

I was raised on all things preserved and prepackaged, so I know how to gussy up budget-friendly meals. The key is lots of seasonings. For boxed mashed potatoes, I usually stick with the basics (onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, and white pepper for good measure), but I've gotten more adventurous in recent years. For example, I made a batch of mashed potatoes with Trader Joe's Mushroom & Company Multipurpose Umami Seasoning Blend to great results. Whatever seasonings you use should give your spuds added dimension and flavor that make them taste homemade.

I always keep a jar of ghee in my kitchen. I've used it for cookies, brownies, pot roast, and pasta sauce. Its toasty, warm flavor adds so much depth and richness to whatever it's added to, including instant mashed potatoes. Use in place of butter for just a kiss of flavor. If you want even more toastiness, use brown butter in place of ghee or regular butter. The added, toasty milk proteins really give your spuds a kick.

Speaking of buttery additions, try infusing flavor into your mashed potatoes by using compound butter in place of regular butter. You can make your own, or buy one already infused with herbs and seasonings. Garlic- or roasted garlic-infused butter can be a great savory addition, or caramelized onion compound butter offers a slightly sweet twist. You can use compound butter on other parts of your meal, such as steak or roast chicken, to help pair your main and side dishes together.

You haven't had mashed potatoes until you've had cheesy mashed potatoes. A bit of shredded cheddar is lovely, perhaps paired with sour cream, chives, and a little bacon fat to boot. You needn't limit yourself to cheddar, however, or even a baked potato theme. Some shredded parmesan gives a rich, nutty flavor that can seriously elevate the boxed dish, or if you want something with a bit more zing, add some goat cheese. Feel free to fully explore any cheese you please.

No matter what spud snobs say, boxed mashed potatoes make for a quick, inexpensive, and easy-to-prepare side that is, frankly, delicious. However, they can be a bit lacking in the richness department. But, by adding a bit of heavy cream along with, or in place of, your butter toward the end of cooking, you add some much needed richness. This hack is especially useful for anyone who doesn't want to alter the flavor of the dish.

Parmesan rinds are a home cook's best friend. Pop them into a simmering pasta sauce for added umami, add them to soup for a rich, complex touch, and toss them in the liquid portion of instant mashed potatoes to give them a little oomph. Simply add your parmesan rind to your pot of chicken broth or water, and let simmer for about 10 to 20 minutes. Then, remove the rinds and add the liquid to those potato flakes. The flavor this adds is subtle, similar to how a bay leaf infuses a certain je ne sais quoi into dishes, but it does a lot of work to elevate this dish.