Mashed Potatoes for Recipes

Mashed potatoes for use in other recipes are best if the potatoes are baked instead of boiled

So now this blog is turning into its own rabbit hole. I just scheduled 2 posts in the next 2 days: one for Irish potato candy and another for Needhams, and both call for plain mashed potatoes. Another mashed potato-dependent recipe is gnocchi hat I'll post once all the holiday recipes are done.

How you make the mashed potatoes is important so read on.....

Mashed potatoes for any of these three recipes, and likely hosts of others, should be completely unseasoned, and they should maintain as much of their starch content as possible.

When making mashed potatoes for a meal, most of us boil them in salted water which means they have been seasoned with salt and they lose a good deal of starch to the water. Baking the potatoes whole is the best way to creating mashed potatoes for recipes like these.

Russets ready to bake for mashed potatoes

Potatoes baked to 210 degrees and cut in half to remove potato from skin.

Use a table spoon to gently scrape the potato from the skin

Mash potatose until smooth and uniform in texture

Mahsed potatoes can be stored and frozen in a zipper bag for most recipes

Don't forget those skins ; cut them into thin wedges

Toss the skins with olive oil and your favorite seasonings to coat

Skins coated with oil and seasonings

Potato skins after baking for 18 minutes on each side

These are a great snack and great way to reduce waste.

The Perfect Baked Potato

Set your oven to 400 degrees

Russets are the starchiest variety of potato, but I've used all different varieties depending on what's on hand.

Since potatoes come in all shapes and sizes, it's hard to say how long to bake them to the right doneness.

To ensure the perfect baked potato, get out your meat thermometer. The perfect internal temperature for a baked potato is 210 degrees and similar to meats, the temperature will climb a bit (up to 15 degrees) after they are removed from the oven, so pull them out when the thermometer reads 195 or so degrees.

When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, or after they've been refrigerated I cut them in half and use a metal teaspoon to scrape out the potato. Set the skins aside.

Once all the potato is in a bowl, I hand mash it until it's as smooth as possible. A ricer works too, but I like the old fashioned way. Once the potatoes are mashed, they can be measured into whatever recipe you're using them for. If I make more than I need, I measure out 1 cup portions and freeze them in zip storage bags.

Now, back to those skins....

Set the over to 425 degrees

Line a cookie sheet with a silicone mat or parchment

Cut the skins into wedges (3 or 4 per each potato half) and toss them in a bowl with olive oil, paprika, salt, pepper, garlic powder and dried parsley.

Lay the skins out on the cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes of so.

Carefully turn the skins over and bake for another 20 minutes.

They make a great snack.

Note that the amount of potato left on the skin will ultimately determine the baking time. If the skins are really clean and naked of potato, it will be shorter and if there is a lot of potato clinging to the skins it will take longer to get them crispy.

Once they're out of the oven, put them in a bowl on the counter and they won't last the afternoon. I suppose you could store them in an airtight container but they never last that long here.