The best boxed mashed potatoes
Peeling pounds of potatoes and turning them into creamy goodness is a task that takes time and brute force. The only real shortcut for that bowl of mashed potatoes on your holiday table is to reach for instant — flakes of dehydrated potato that come in a handful of flavors, including cheesy, creamy, herbed, garlic-infused and plain.
But beware: A lot of these potato flakes are not going to fool anyone.
The best instant potatoes are creamy, minimally seasoned and taste like a fresh mash — without the lumps. They contain just a few ingredients, and literally transform from dried potato bits into judiciously seasoned potato yumminess in seconds. Hide the package and few eaters would guess it’s not made from scratch.
The worst are watery, grainy, off-flavored bites with way too much of one thing or another. Excess salt is common, but it gets worse — think cardboard and toothpaste. No kidding. Bad instant potatoes are not food.
To find the best, we spooned through the mash, tasting plain, garlic-flavored, cheesy and fully loaded instant mashed potatoes found at local markets. All the mixes were prepared according to package directions. Some include milk and butter, others do not.
Here’s the scoop on instant potatoes tasty enough to fool the crowd — and those that are better used in a food fight. Nutrition details refer to 1/3 cup dry mix or 2/3 cup of prepared potatoes. Entertaining for the holidays? This easy sear-roasted duck dish is served with a sensational sauce made with dried cherries, orange marmalade, ruby port and cream.