How To Do Mashed Potatoes In Instant Pot

How To Make Instant Pot Meatloaf And Mashed Potatoes

• Cut potatoes into large chunks and place in Instant Pot
• Stir together meatloaf mixture
• Place on top of potatoes with foil around the bottom
• Remove meatloaf after cooking and mash potatoes

The Ultimate Comfort Food

I am excited to share these simple to make, instant pot mashed potatoes with you! I love them with just about everything from meatloaf to island style pork to or beef tips!

If youre not familiar with the Instant Pot, its an easy to use an electric pressure cooker. Learn more about the Instant Pot here .

How Long Does It Take To Cook The Potatoes In A Pressure Cooker

It actually doesnt take very long to cook potatoes in the pressure cooker. Now, for mashed potatoes in instant pot, I only set the timer for only 6 minutes so they are soft enough to mash.

Now if you want your potatoes a bit firmer for a chunkier mashed potatoes I would set the timer for only 4 minutes. Either way you are going to have amazing potatoes.

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How Long Will Mashed Potatoes Cook In The Instant Pot

Once you prep the potatoes and place them in the Instant Pot, you will add either 2 cups of water, or 2 cups of chicken broth. If you dont have chicken broth, its no big deal. I like to use chicken broth because it adds extra flavor to the potatoes.

Place the lid on the Instant Pot, making sure the valve is set to sealing then set the manual timer for 12 minutes.

Itll take about 7-10 minutes for the Instant Pot to pressurize before the timer will start counting down.

When the timer goes off, go ahead and quick-release the pressure. I like to cover the valve with a kitchen towel so that liquid doesnt spatter everywhere.

Which Potatoes Are Best In The Instant Pot

For this recipe, you can use any kind of potato, like Yukon Gold, red, or russet potatoes. Cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks, and they’re ready in under 15 minutes Take em out right when the timer goes off so they dont overcook, then use them however you like!

As is, they can be folded into a potato salad . For breakfast, I toss them into a skillet to make a quick hash with onions and peppers, or I brown them in the pan alongside sunny side up eggs.

For dinner, I mash them right in the hot pot after theyre done steaming to make easy mashed potatoes, or toss them in the oven to roast until crispy, as pictured here.

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How Long To Cook Potatoes In An Instant Pot

• Different of potatoes may take a little bit longer, and it will take a bit longer if you keep the skin on your potatoes.
• Be sure that you are starting with a cup of water for the best results.
• Remember the size of your potatoes make a difference in cooking time. We recommend cutting them to about 1 1/2-inch cubes.

Timing In An Instant Pot Vs Stovetop Pressure Cooker

Instant Pot and other electric pressure cookers take longer to heat up than stovetop pressure cookers. Therefore, the cooking time for potatoes in a stovetop pressure cooker may be different than the time 3 minutes under pressure we offer for the Instant Pot. A traditional stovetop pressure cooker can reach a PSI level of up to 15, while the Instant Pot tops out at 12 PSI. So, although the Instant Pot takes longer to heat up, it also takes a little longer for food to cook vs. regular stovetop pressure cookers.

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How Much Mashed Potatoes Per Person Do I Need

The general advice usually states to calculate 1/3-1/2 pound potatoes per person when making mashed potatoes. But I have found people tend to load up on mashed potatoes, especially for holiday dinners.

So I always add a few more servings than people. That way there will definitely be enough and leftover mashed potatoes are never a bad thing either.

Once they are mashed with butter and milk they even freeze quite well.

Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes:

Making mashed potatoes in the instant pot starts out just a simple and easy as if you were making mashed potatoes on the stove like my reader favorite Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes.

You’ll start out with three pounds of potatoes. This is about 6 medium potatoes total. Go ahead and peel them. I haven’t tried this recipe leaving the skin on the potatoes because we prefer ours without skin.

Next, simply slice the potatoes into large rounds. For me, this came out to about 4-5 round slices per potato. There is no reason to spend time cutting them into cubes. You’ll then cover them completely in water which will be about 4-5 cups depending on what size of instant pot you’re using. The picture below shows the potato rounds in my 8 quart instant pot.

After the potatoes are covered in the water you will add ½ teaspoon of salt. This is just enough salt to flavor the potatoes while they cook without being overwhelming.

Then, that’s it for now! Go ahead and place the lid on your instant pot. Set the valve to sealed and cook on manual for 8 minutes. Keep in mind that it will take about 8-10 minutes for the pot to come to pressure.

Once the timer goes off you can quick release the pressure from your pot. You will need to drain the potatoes and then return them to the instant pot with the power off.

You can mash these up with a standard potato masher if you wish. Or, you can mash then whip them with a hand-held mixer which is what I love to do!

Enjoy!

~Nichole

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Ways To Flavor Mashed Sweet Potatoes:

• Honey or Maple syrup make great add-ins for a sweet taste. It does not take much and a drizzle will do the trick.

• Cinnamon Sprinkle about a ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon when mashed the potatoes.

• Brown sugar If you like sweetness to your mashed potatoes, then add in brown sugar. I would start with a ¼ cup fo brown sugar and add more if needed.

• Chopped nuts such as walnuts or pecans.

• Kids love to top the mashed sweet potatoes with mini marshmallows.

• Sprinkle bacon and green onion on top.

• Replace water with chicken stock.

How To Make Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes:

Full instructions are included in the recipe below, but here is a basic overview plus a few important tips for how to make mashed potatoes in the instant pot:

Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes with Mushroom Gravy

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It Is So Simple To Make Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes Recipe

We love to use russet potatoes but you can try other types in your electric pressure cookers. I have used Yukon Gold Potatoes as well and it was delicious!

If you dont have a pressure cooker yet, try using your slow cooker if you dont need the potatoes right away.

Pressure cooking is just so quick and a great time saver during busy weeknights. You can have this yummy mashed potato recipe in under 20 minutes.

Add milk and butter, salt and pepper to taste and you are set. It really is that easy.

Sometimes we like to add sour cream and cream cheese to change up the flavor. Just mix in 1/2 cup of either of these and it makes the potatoes so rich and creamy. Also, you can add roasted garlic for delicious creamy garlic mashed potatoes that the entire family will love!

Also, if you are following an unsaturated fats diet, you can use olive oil instead of butter in this recipe. This recipe is easy to modify to make it perfect for your family.

How Do You Prepare Mashed Potatoes Ahead Of Time

If you are preparing food for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or another large family gathering, prepare these ahead of time!

To make the potatoes in advance, prepare the potatoes up to 2 days before serving and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat them by adding them to a slow cooker on low. It may be necessary to add a splash of milk and butter to smooth them out.

Prepare the potatoes up to two days before cooking: Peel and quarter the potatoes, then store in a large bowl or pot, covered in water. Leave them in water for no longer than 24 hours to avoid water-logging the potatoes.

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What To Serve With Mashed Sweet Potatoes:

• Oven Roasted Turkey Breast So tender and juicy. It is seasoned to perfection and perfect for any holiday dinner.

• Instant Pot Turkey Breast This is a game changer. Learn how to cook turkey in a fraction of the time and it is so tender and flavorful.

• Instant Pot Spiral Ham Make tenderham in minutes thanks to the pressure cooker. The ham is tender and flavorful for a great meal.

Heat Milk & Cut Butter

Once the Instant Pot gets up to pressure, heat milk over medium-low heat on the stove.

Once the milk has reached a simmer, turn off the heat.

Then, cut the room temperature unsalted butter into cubes.

Now, open the lid carefully.

Let the Instant Pot stay in the Keep Warm Mode.

Then, transfer the potatoes to a large serving bowl.

Discard the water and remove the steamer rack from the inner pot.

Rinse and dry the inner pot really well with a towel, then place inner pot back in the Instant Pot.

Food Mill Instructions: If youre using a food mill, layer the food mill on the inner pot. Then, mash the potatoes into the inner pot .

Potato Masher Instructions: If youre using a potato masher, transfer the potatoes back into the inner pot and mash the potatoes.

Lastly, give the mashed potatoes a few quick stirs with a silicone spatula.

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The Best Mashed Potatoes In The Instant Pot

What takes these great Mashed Potatoes in the Instant Pot from good to BEST? Chicken broth. Indeed, instead of simply cooking our potatoes in water, then draining and adding milk and butter later we are going to cook the potatoes in chicken broth and milk. No draining needed! The nutrients and flavor absorb into the potatoes, we mash them and add butter and salt, then voila. Amazing Mashed Potatoes in the Instant Pot!

NOTE: Never fear the fat! These are full of good fats, so lets emphasize the GOOD in that sentence. Broth, real butter, and whole milk are all good, nourishing foods. Our brains need good fats for good health. So give a cheer for mashed potatoes that taste amazing and offer great nourishment too!

Instant Pot Mashed Potato Add

These delicious potatoes dont have a lot of added ingredients, allowing the deliciousness of potatoes to shine! If you are like to add extras to your mashed potatoes, do not let me stop you. You could add the following to these Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes:

• Chives
• Ranch seasoning

Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes will stay warm for a while and can be served by themselves . You could make a gravy for them or stir in your favorite mix-ins.

Did you know the type of potato you use makes a huge difference in how your mashed potatoes come out? It is true.

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How To Avoid Making Mashed Potatoes Like Glue

Weve moved houses A LOT over the last 6 years. And with every move I tried to condense our belongings down to just the essentials .

At some point I must have gotten rid of our potato masher. As I mentioned before, aside from the holiday season we dont even have mashed potatoes that often.

Well, the next time I wanted to make shepherds pie, I had the genius idea to mash the potatoes in a blender . My oh my, there was nothing genius about this.

I ended up with a very unappetizing gluey, slimy substance that no one wanted to eat!

Since then I have learnt that you never want to over-agitate the starches when making mashed potatoes. So dont EVER use a blender or food processor.

You could use a handheld or stand-mixer, but even those are too risky for me. I never again want to end up with potato glue.

So I went out and got us another handheld potato masher. Sure, it may take a little more upper body strength and time, but we already saved some by not needing to peel or cut up the potatoes.

Perfectly fluffy potatoes are worth that little extra effort.

I have never owned or even use a potato ricer, but apparently those are great for fluffy, non-gluey mashed potatoes, too and can also be used with unpeeled potatoes. Youll even avoid the occasional lumpy bit that usually gets missed by a handheld potato masher.

What’s The Best Way To Mash Potatoes

There’s also a lot of debate about the best way to mash potatoes! If you want the smoothest, creamiest consistency possible, we recommend using a potato ricer. This takes a little bit more work, but will effectively get rid of all of the lumps in your mashed potatoes. Personally, I prefer a more home-style mashed potato, and use a masher with multiple holes in it like this one. This gives the result of a mostly smooth mash with just a few lumps.

You can also whip your potatoes with an electric mixer for a fluffier texture, just be sure not to overbeat! Also, never put potatoes in a food processor or blender your result will be gluey, stuck together potatoes.

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Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes With Your Instant Pot

I think potatoes are best cooked the day you want to serve them.

However, to simplify things, you can cook them a few hours before you wish to eat them. After mashing, return them to your cooking pot on the keep warm setting, or transfer them to a crock pot set to the lowest setting.

Be sure to spray the pot with nonstick cooking spray or rub on a little oil to prevent sticking.

If theyll be warming for a few hours, add a little more milk on top of the potatoes in the pot to make sure the tops dont dry out.

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Tricks For Smooth And Creamy Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes

Use the right mashing tool For perfect, lump free mashed potatoes, I highly recommend using a ricer or a food mill instead of a traditional masher.

If youre in a hurry, you can use your KitchenAid mixer. But you need to be really carefuloverwhipping your potatoes can make them gluey and youll still be likely to have some lumps.

Butter first. Another tip is to stir in the room temperature butter before adding the warm liquids to the mashed potatoes.

When Im in a hurry, Ill warm the butter and milk together. However, if you add room temperature butter and stir them in before adding warm liquid, . This will prevent the mashed potatoes from absorbing as much liquid so theyll stay dry and fluffy.

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