We Found The Only Store-Bought Mashed Potatoes Worth Serving This Thanksgiving

"Do instant (aka boxed) mashed potatoes count? OK, but what does "pre-made mashed potatoes" mean... No. And no shade to instant mashed potatoes - I love them - but they're not the same. For this test, we stuck to "pre-made mashed potatoes." No frozen varieties, either...sorry, Trader Joe's. Oh, like the Costco mashed potatoes! Here, they're the refrigerated, pre-mashed potatoes that just need to be gently reheated in a microwave or conventional oven."

"Normally, you'll find them in those small black plastic packages, wrapped in a cardboard sleeve, near the deli counter. No, but my mother-in-law makes (aka reheats) those for Thanksgiving every year with extra butter and cream, and I swear they're the best mashed potatoes I've ever had. For this one, we decided to exclude brands that make store-prepared mashed potatoes - such as Costco, Whole Foods, and other grocers with prepared food operations."

The test limited entries to refrigerated, factory-made pre-mashed potatoes sold in small black plastic packages with a cardboard sleeve, typically near the deli counter. Instant (boxed) mashed potatoes were excluded as distinct from pre-made refrigerated varieties. Frozen mashed potato products were also excluded. Store-prepared mashed potatoes from grocery delis and prepared-food operations such as Costco and Whole Foods were excluded. The focus remained on nationally available, factory-produced refrigerated mashed potato products that require gentle reheating in a microwave or conventional oven. Some household reheating techniques, such as adding butter and cream, were acknowledged but did not alter inclusion criteria.

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