17 Simple Mashed Potato Recipes for When You're Craving Comfort Food (2024)

FAQs

Is mashed potatoes a comfort food? ›

Fried, mashed, or baked – potatoes are the ultimate comfort food, a simple ingredient to work with, and the perfect base to build from for any comfort dish.

Mashed potatoes are incredibly versatile and pair well with a wide range of dishes. They're a classic accompaniment for roasted meats like chicken, beef, and pork, but also go well with grilled fish, meatloaf, sausages, and vegetables. You can also pair them with different sauces and gravies for added flavor.

Instead of gravy, opt for a lemony hollandaise sauce recipe to add a little tangy flavor and heat to your side dish. This works especially well for any mashed potatoes that have found their way onto a brunch menu, or if you're cooking a French entrée.

Wealth of micronutrients. In addition to carbohydrates — a needed energy source for your body and brain — potatoes contain a wealth of micronutrients. They're a good source of vitamins, minerals and fiber. As a bonus, potatoes are low in calories, contain no fat or cholesterol, and are sodium-free.

Garlic – For savory depth of flavor. Unsalted butter – For richness and buttery flavor. Milk – It smooths the starchy potatoes into an incredibly creamy mash. Use whole milk for the creamiest results.

Taste before serving: I like to add a scoop of Better then Bouillon chicken base for great flavor, or add more salt and pepper, sour cream, or melted butter, until you reach the flavor you want. nt to add more salt and pepper, or an extra scoop of sour cream, or a little melted butter.

Folding chives or scallions into mashed potatoes is a classic technique for a reason, but roasted garlic (garlic is also an allium), caramelized onions, or even a packet of Lipton's French Onion Dip, can all add unbeatable flavor to mashed potatoes.

KFC Potato and Gravy is known for the soft, fluffy yet creamy mashed potato doused with their signature gravy, perfect for dunking in crusty Fried Chicken and fries.

How to jazz up store-bought mashed potatoes? ›

Herbs, like chives, green onions and Italian parsley are also good. Try stirring green peas into your mash as well. Truth be told, you only need salt, pepper, lots of butter and cream to make mashed potatoes delicious.

It is totally fine to eat potatoes every day. While how you prepare and cook potatoes and how much you eat could possibly impact your health, whole potatoes with skin are a nutritious vegetable with health benefits.

A 2014 study published in the ‌Journal of the American College of Nutrition‌ compared weight loss in a group of people following a reduced-calorie diet with or without potatoes and found that the potato did not cause weight gain — in fact, the people who ate potatoes daily were still able to lose weight.

You've probably noticed that you feel calmer and more content after digging into a yummy baked potato or plate of home fries. And researchers may have figured out why: Potatoes boast rich stores of tryptophan and potassium — nutrients your brain and digestive tract use to produce the mood-steadying hormone serotonin.

Potatoes and Mood Regulation: The B6 Connection

The key to understanding the potato's impact on your happiness is its vitamin B6 content. This unheralded nutrient plays a pivotal role in the production of mood-regulating neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine.

Mashed potato or mashed potatoes (American, Canadian and Australian English), colloquially known as mash (British English), is a dish made by mashing boiled or steamed potatoes, usually with added milk, butter, salt and pepper. It is generally served as a side dish to meat or vegetables.

Tryptophan, which is naturally found in potatoes, is a natural sedative that promotes restful sleep. In addition, the potassium in potatoes acts as a muscle relaxant, ensuring a more restful sleep and more relaxed body.