How to Make our Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the ratio of instant potatoes to water? ›

Then, prepare the potatoes: Bring 1¼ cups water to boil in a small saucepan. Once bubbling away, remove from heat, add 1 cup instant mashed potatoes (2 oz.), and gently fluff with a fork.

Instant mashed potatoes are made from potato flakes, essentially potatoes are cooked, mashed, dehydrated, then sifted into flakes/powder. It's also what Pringles are made from.

Most instant potato varieties call for you to combine the potatoes with water, but if you want your potatoes to taste a bit more indulgent, use milk instead. Whole milk will yield delightfully rich potatoes, but 2 percent milk works well too.

Try to get evenly sized potatoes to ensure they are all evenly cooked in the Instant Pot. Water — Use enough to cover all your potatoes but also make sure you use enough to get the Instant Pot to pressure. You only need 1 cup of water for the 3-quart and 6-quart to get to pressure and 2 cups for the 8-quart.

Bring water, salt, and butter to a boil on the stove top, then remove the pot from the heat and stir in the instant mashed potato mix. Heat water, milk, salt, and butter in the microwave for 3 minutes, then stir in the instant mashed potato mix. Substitute the water with chicken or vegetable stock for a richer flavor.

Adding parmesan will give your spuds a slightly sharp umami flavor. Aged cheddar cheese can have quite a nip to it but can produce an ooey-gooey stretchy mashed potato with a sharp flavor. Crème fraîche is another lighter option that is a cross between a solid and a liquid. It has a fresh cream flavor.

Ingredients. IDAHO® POTATOES, VEGETABLE OIL (COCONUT, SUNFLOWER), MALTODEXTRIN, SALT, SUGAR, BUTTERMILK POWDER, NONFAT DRY MILK, BUTTER (CREAM, SALT), MONOGLYCERIDES, CALCIUM STEAROYL LACTYLATE, NATURAL FLAVORS. FRESHNESS PRESERVED BY SODIUM ACID PYROPHOSPHATE, SODIUM BISULFITE, CITRIC ACID, AND MIXED TOCOPHEROLS.

Instant mashed potatoes are convenient for busy food establishments like KFC — the only thing employees need to do is add water and mix. The peeling, cooking, and mashing, has already been done. The downside to instant mashed potatoes is that they aren't as fluffy and tend to be bland.

Instant mashed potatoes are made by dehydrating cooked potatoes and then rehydrating them by adding boiling water. This process results in a finer and smoother texture than regular mashed potatoes, which are made by boiling and mashing fresh potatoes.

When potatoes are mashed, starch is released. The more you work the potatoes, the more starch gets released. When too much starch gets released, the potatoes become gummy, gluey, and unappetizing.

Can you use chicken broth instead of water for instant mashed potatoes? ›

Swap Out the Water

Instantly add flavor by replacing half or all of the water with an equal amount of chicken broth. Rest assured—your potatoes won't end up tasting like chicken! In fact, when you mix the potato flakes with the warm broth, the result is a creamier, more buttery-tasting bowl of spuds.

Add a Thickening Agent

This is the most common way to thicken mashed potatoes. You can use what you have on hand: Flour, cornstarch, or powdered milk are all solid options that are probably already in your pantry. Potato flour and potato starch would work as well.

In general small or cubed potatoes will take about 10 to 15 minutes to boil, while larger, whole potatoes will take between 20 to 25 minutes. To check potatoes for doneness, insert a knife into one. If it slides in without much effort, you're good to go!

Boiled Potatoes Time Guide

Peeled, cubed potatoes cut into small, one-inch pieces should cook in 10 to 12 minutes, once the water reaches a boil. Larger pieces (about 2 inches across) may need longer, around 15 minutes. Medium whole potatoes should boil 20 minutes before they'll be tender.

The potatoes need to be processed in a weighted pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure for 35 minutes for pint jars and 40 minutes of quart jars if you live at an altitude of 1,000 feet above sea level or less (Image 3).