Potato Imposters

I believe that dehydrated potato flakes should be present only in emergency food supplies and possibly at the International Space Station. They should not be put on your dinner table, or served in restaurants, or the school cafeteria. This convenience "food" is marketed as instant mashed potatoes. I'll just refer to them as flakes for short. I have heard the argument from friends and family, while I am railing against flakes, that they are just as good and so much more convenient than real mashed potatoes. This is a myth.

Firstly, I do not believe that they are more convenient. Yes, I know that washing, peeling, boiling, draining, and mashing potatoes is a lot of work. However, I have developed a method of ensuring a supply of real, homemade mashed potatoes to go with our meals. Simply make a large batch of mashed potatoes, like a five or ten pound bag. Then freeze into portions to serve as a side when you need them. This is the only way I make mashed potatoes. They freeze well and are easy to thaw out. I just take them right from the freezer and place in a pot on the stove at medium to low heat. Stir every couple minutes. Even if they dry out, just stir in a bit of milk to rehydrate. Of course, you can also let them thaw out in the fridge over night and use the microwave to heat them up. Just think, for the initial investment of a couple hours in the kitchen you can serve real, creamy, savory mashed potatoes with your steak, fried chicken, and meatloaf.

As for the claim that flakes are "just as good" as real mashed potatoes - no, they are not. If you think that then you have been eating flakes for too long. And no, it doesn't matter what you add to them. You can try to doctor them up with cream, garlic, shredded cheese, or herbs. This does not work. Flakes just do not have that earthy, robust flavor that you get from potatoes that are freshly cooked and mashed with butter, cream, salt and freshly ground pepper.  If you prepare a ten pound bag of potatoes you'll have enough mashed potatoes for 4 or 8 meals, depending on your family size. Trust me. It is so worth it!