Instant Pot Adventures: Mashed Potatoes

A classic Thanksgiving side, I decided to try mashed potatoes in the Instant Pot. I had tried this same recipe about a month ago, but as I was distracted in the kitchen and rushed to get dinner done quickly, I had not given proper time for the potatoes to actually cook in the pressure cooker. They came out…subpar. Very subpar. And we’ll just leave it at that.

So for this Thanksgiving, I wanted to redeem myself, I wanted to do it right…Chouchou and I both questioned whether I should after slightly…browning…the ham biscuits. But since we’re both stubborn, we pressed on.

The recipe I had found came from The Salty Marshmallow, and it sounded especially delicious, claiming “rich and creamy” mashed potatoes. I made sure that the potatoes cooked this time- what had really tricked me last time was the “keep warm” button that was simultaneously on with the “pressure cooker” one. What I love about this recipe is the easy prep – peel and slice potatoes only! It did actually take more than 20 minutes start to finish for me, perhaps because I was juggling dishes, or because the Instant Pot had to come up to temp before beginning pressure cooking. Either way, it was well worth the extra time.

True to my nature, I pushed the limits, and slightly, very slightly, passed the maximum liquid line. In the directions, it says to use the quick release, and so I did…and it seemed like all four plus cups of water that I had used to cover and cook the potatoes came rushing out like a geyser, steaming the glass cabinets and making Chouchou throw his hands in the air and… admire the spectacular mess. I just stood back, grabbed a towel and laughed…Oh, what else could I do? At least I knew for sure the potatoes were cooked this time!

After that, it was so easy peasy – I didn’t even mash the potatoes before putting them into the mixer and adding the other ingredients. They turned out super creamy, thick, and delicious. And the mess wasn’t that bad – it was all only water anyway…