Learn about Potato Hints, Tips, and Information, Sweet Potato Tips, History of Potatoes, and more great Potato Recipes. Don't forget to check out my Thanksgiving Turkey Dinner Menu which includes Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes. Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes15 medium (5 pounds)
potatoes, peeled and quartered
Preparing Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes:
Leftovers:
NOTE:
Makes 12 to 25 servings.
Question:
Question:
Answers:
Russet potatoes make the
best mashed potatoes. Peel them and cut into equal-sized pieces. Boil and
drain. Dry over low heat for a few
minutes. Mash with a potato masher, potato ricer, or an electric beaters. Do
this very quickly so the potatoes will remain hot. Note: Gluey or gooey
mashed potatoes are caused by vigorous over mashing, as anyone who has tried to
make the side dish in a food processor can attest. When potatoes are boiled,
their starch granules swell. If those granules are broken too vigorously, the
cells release copious quantities of starch, resulting in a potatoes with the
consistency of wallpaper paste. NEVER use
a blender or food processor to make mashed potatoes. There are starch packets
inside the potato cells and the blender blades rip right through them, releasing
the starch and this makes the potatoes into library paste. The cells of the
potato flesh contain a very fine starch. Mashing gently leaves most of the cells
intact. Processing in a blender or a Food Processor acts like a cell homogenizer
and releases all that starch into the liquid. Adding any liquid early just makes
the process more efficient. Add one tablespoon butter
(more or less if you like) for each two potatoes, and salt to your taste.
Beat until the butter is melted. Then add milk or light cream that has been
heated but not brought to a boil (if you add cold liquid, the potatoes will
be cold and gummy). Beat the liquid into the potatoes to make a smooth,
fluffy mixture. Add only enough liquid to make the mixture smooth, about one
tablespoon for each potato. Do not over beat. they should be soft and moist,
but firm enough to hold their shape. All this should be done as
quickly as possible so the potatoes never have a chance to get cold - that
is the secret of delicious mashed potatoes!
Question:
Answer:
Plan
on 3/4 cup of mashed potatoes per person:
20 people x ¾ (.75) cup = 15 pounds of mashed potatoes needed
The equation: 1 ¼ (1.25) pounds boiled potatoes = 2 ½ (2.50)
cups mashed potatoes = 3 1/3 (3.33) servings of mashed potatoes
@ ¾ (.75) cup per person
>
20 people divided by 3 1/3 (3.33) = 6
6
x 1 ¼ (1.25) lbs = 7.5 lbs
of raw or boiled potatoes
I
hope I haven’t confused you too much, but you will need 7.5 lbs of
raw or boiled potatoes. |