Here's Exactly What's In School Cafeteria Mashed Potatoes - Tasting Table

"This recipe is a little large for day-to-day cooking, as you're making 12 pounds of waxy potatoes - either Yukon golds or red potatoes - for an estimated 50 servings. In addition to the boiled potatoes, the recipe is pretty simple: just a quart of low-fat milk, a cup and a half of trans-fat-free margarine, one tablespoon plus one teaspoon of salt, and one teaspoon of pepper."

"But there are many methods for making mashed potatoes, and these cafeteria potatoes are far from the most delicious. Unless you're running on pure nostalgia with the meal, we'd suggest adding a bit of flair to your starchy side dish with something more like this creamy garlic mashed red potatoes recipe. Now, if you've been reading this and thinking that these don't sound anything like the potatoes you had in school, there's a good reason for that."

An official USDA school-lunch mashed potato recipe produces roughly 50 servings from 12 pounds of waxy potatoes, such as Yukon golds or red potatoes, combined with a quart of low-fat milk, 1½ cups trans-fat-free margarine, and measured salt and pepper. The recipe is straightforward and scalable for smaller batches. Cafeteria-style potatoes are simple and large-scale but are often considered less flavorful than other methods. The USDA also provides dehydrated potato options and other variations. School meal budgets and cost pressures influence which potato preparations are used. Memories of school lunches vary between nostalgia and dislike.

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