America's Best Home Cooking: Make All-Star Mashed Potatoes

Here are five tips for making mashed potatoes worthy of All-Star Academy.

Save Collection
Related To:
Mashed Potato

Perfect Mashed Potatoes Every Time

Whether your mashed potatoes are too gluey, overcooked or just not fluffy enough for your liking, these tips will help you make sure they're craveworthy from now on.

Maximum Fluffiness

Use starchy potatoes (like russets or Yukon golds). Waxy potatoes (like red or white ones) don’t mash up as fluffy.

Don't Overcook the Potatoes

Cook them just enough — the tip of a knife should go in easily, and the potato should slide right off the tip.

Wet Potatoes Don't Like Butter

Dry them well; once they’re drained, put them back in the pot over low heat, and shake and stir to dry them out. They’ll be even more receptive to butter that way.

Step Away from the Blades

Mash them with a wooden spoon (for chunky) or a ricer (for smooth). Anything with spinning blades makes for gluey potatoes.

Melted Ingredients Mash Better

Warm the butter and milk! The colder your add-ins are, the longer it’ll take to mash them in, and the greater your odds of overworked potatoes.

More from:

All-Star Academy

Next Up

America's Best Home Cooking: Make All-Star Meatloaf 6 Photos

America's Best Home Cooking: Make All-Star Lasagna 6 Photos

5 Rules to Cook By: Kitchen Wisdom from the Mentors of All-Star Academy 7 Photos

Meet the Home Cooks Competing in All-Star Academy 12 Photos

Meet the Home Cooks Competing in All-Star Academy, Season 2 10 Photos

The Mentors' Advice for the Home Cooks Competing in All-Star Academy, Season 2 5 Photos

Meet the All-Star Academy Teams 6 Photos

Top Moments from All-Star Academy, Season 2 43 Photos

Eat Like the Mentors of All-Star Academy 17 Photos

Meet the All-Star Academy Teams from Season 2 6 Photos

We Recommend

Home Cook Cheat Sheet: Salad Dressing Secrets [INFOGRAPHIC] — All-Star Academy

All-Star Academy Fan Vote: Support Your Favorite Home Cook

Home Cook Cheat Sheet: Measurement Conversion Guide [INFOGRAPHIC] — All-Star Academy

Home Cooks to Enroll in Food Network Chefs' All-Star Academy in 2015

10 Talented Home Cooks Enter All-Star Academy to Compete for the Grand Prize

America's Best Home Cooking: Make All-Star Meatloaf 6 Photos