Elevating Mashed Potatoes- 12 Ways

Mashed potatoes are one of the simplest side dishes to make. It is a fantastic accompaniment to both meat and fish dishes and is a popular dinnertime choice in many homes. Not only do most people know how to make mashed potatoes, but it is also a good choice for people who have a limited budget. However, most people do not want to eat the same things over and over again, so it makes sense to change the way that you serve up this accompaniment if you can. Here are some ideas for elevating mashed potatoes. 

How to Make Mashed Potatoes

Although I am sure that most people already know how to make mashed potatoes, I am just adding brief instructions for the benefit of those who don’t.

1. Wash and peel potatoes then cut into quarters.
2. Put in a pan and cover with water, add a little salt.
3. Bring to the boil and then reduce heat to a simmer.
4. Cook until potatoes are soft enough to easily push fork prongs into.
5. Drain potatoes thoroughly before returning to a pan and putting over low heat.
6. Add a large knob of butter, a dash of milk, and season with pepper.
7. Use a potato masher to make the mashed potatoes.
8. For really creamy and smooth potatoes, you can then whisk with a whisk or a fork if you wish.

Why Would You Consider Elevating Mashed Potaotes?

If you are mashed potato purist, then you may wonder why you should elevate mashed potatoes. If you don’t want to, then you don’t need to do anything different. However, it is nice to include some variety in your diet and try new things.

Another reason is that each of the ways of elevating mashed potatoes works well with different meats or dishes. Therefore, some of the following suggestions will improve the meal. Which you use is down to personal taste.

A further reason to consider elevating mashed potatoes is if you are entertaining guests. There is no denying that mashed potatoes are the ideal accompaniment for many dishes, but they are not always visually appealing on the plate.

If you have people dining at your home, then you will want to impress them with your culinary skills and your flavour combinations. Using the ideas in this article will give you some inspiration for ways that you can do this.

Elevating Mashed Potatoes by Adding Flavours

Cheesy Mash

This is something my children love and is really easy to make just by adding grated cheese and stirring through.

Horseradish Mash

This variation works best with dishes such as steak, roast beef dinners, or steak pie. Just add a few heaped tablespoons of horseradish to the mashed potatoes and stir through.

Mustard Mash

There are several variations of this depending on which type of mustard you use. Just add three to four teaspoons of either English, French, wholegrain, or Dijon mustard. This works well with both beef and ham dishes.

Herby Mash

Add two teaspoons of dried mixed herbs or a herb that complements the rest of the meal, i.e. rosemary goes well with lamb, while parsley is great with fish dishes.

Garlic Mash

This works well with most meals, but don’t just add raw garlic to the mash. Instead of adding a knob of butter to the mashed potatoes, melt it in a pan over medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil to prevent the butter from burning and then add crushed garlic. Cook for a few minutes before transferring the garlic butter to the mashed potatoes and stirring through.

Onion Mash– A Tasty Way of Elevating Mashed Potatoes

Similarly, you can add finely chopped onion or spring onions (scallions) to mash if you cook them in the butter first and then transfer.

Other Ways of Elevating Mashed Potatoes

There are also some other ways of elevating mashed potatoes other than simply adding different flavours to them. The following are six ways of elevating mashed potatoes to create interesting side dishes or tasty meals.

Princess Potatoes

Princess potatoes are mashed potatoes that are piped into shapes and then baked in the oven so they form a golden, crunchy exterior. They are a way of presenting mashed potatoes in a more aesthetically pleasing way. It is also a way of adding texture to mashed potatoes.

Make the mashed potatoes and then use a piping bag to create swirls of mashed potato on a greased or lined baking tray. Cook in the oven on high heat until the edges of the potatoes are turning golden and crispy. These are fantastic served with pies.

Tuna Fishcakes

A popular family favourite in our house is tuna fishcakes. I tend to make these with leftover mashed potatoes or with the fillings of baked potatoes when I am making potato skins. However, you can also make fresh mashed potatoes for this dish.

You can use a variety of different vegetables, herbs, and spices to create tuna fishcakes. Use our recipe for tuna fishcakes with lightly spiced mayonnaise for inspiration.

Potato Cakes

One of the simplest ways of elevating mashed potatoes is by making potato cakes. These are a great side dish or you can make them fro a tasty snack. There are several ways of making potato cakes, although all involve forming the mashed potatoes into patties.

If you chill the patties for half an hour in the refrigerator, you can then shallow fry them without any coating. Shallow fry until golden on one side and then flip the potato cakes and repeat.

Alternatively, you can dip them in egg and flour before frying, coat them in a batter, or roll them in breadcrumbs. A healthy alternative to shallow frying potato cakes is baking them in the oven.

Bubble and Squeak

Making bubble and squeak is an excellent way of using up the leftover vegetables and mashed potatoes from a roast dinner. The main ingredients are usually mashed potatoes and chopped cabbage, although you can experiment with different ingredients. We have a simple bubble and squeak recipe on our website that you can read here.

Corned Beef Fritters

These are another fantastic way of using up leftover mashed potatoes or simply serving them in a different way. This dish involves combining mashed potatoes with corned beef and then frying like potato cakes. You can read our recipe for corned beef fritters here.

You can add as much or as little corned beef as you want, and add herbs or onion for extra flavour. There is also the option to make thin or deep individual fritters, or to make a pan-sized fritter for slicing and sharing.

Thickener for Soups

If you make soups with your leftovers, then adding a little leftover mashed potato will act as a thickener for the soup. This is an alternative to using a thickener such as cornflour. Many would argue that mashed potato adds a nicer flavour than cornflour.

Image credit: Image credit: Ewan Munro via Flickr https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/

Elevating mashed Potatoes- The Final Verdict

These are just some ideas for completely transforming mashed potatoes into a new dish with different flavours. If you have any other ways of adding flavour to your mashed potatoes or ways of creating a dish with them, then feel free to add your ideas in the comments box below.