More Butter, Less Milk: Here's How To Make Mashed Potatoes Extra Creamy - Tasting Table

Mashed potatoes become dry, gluey, or unpleasant when the wrong additions and techniques are used. Butter is essential for silky, creamy texture, not just flavor, and it should be added before milk or cream so the fat coats the potatoes and helps prevent stickiness. Butter and dairy should be warm when mixed in to reduce starch binding. Overworking potatoes releases starch and makes them gummy, so tools like food processors, stand mixers, and blenders should be avoided. Keeping mixing minimal helps maintain a smooth, tender mash that can be improved further with gravy or other toppings.

"Dry or gluey mashed potatoes are not it. The reason your mashed potatoes may be coming out like this isn't because of how you mash them (though, we all know ricing is the best method); it's because of what you add to them. Many folks pour in a splash of milk, heavy cream, or half-and-half but neglect the butter. While these dairy-based additions are what will make your mash rich, the butter is what makes it silky smooth and creamy, meaning it does more than just add flavor."

"Therefore, you should be focusing your attention on the butter (or vegan butter alternative, if you're making a plant-based mash). You should also add butter to the potatoes before you add milk, as the fat will help form a protective coating that will prevent the potatoes from getting overly gluey. Butter (and milk or cream) should be warm when you add it to the potatoes to prevent the starch from binding."

"It would be great if we could tell you that just adding more butter to your spuds will make any fears of gluey mashed potatoes go away, but unfortunately, the best way to prevent gluey mashed potatoes is to not overwork them. When you overhandle or overmix potatoes, you are releasing starch and giving it an opportunity to gum up your potatoes. Leave the food processor, stand mixer, or blender out of the equation, as these will make your mashed potatoes too starchy - which is a problem not even a hearty glug of gravy can fix."

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