You\u2019re going to love my Pressure Cooker \/ Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes<\/strong> recipe! The pressure cooker is the best way to cook mashed potatoes! No boiling over, no watching pots, no steamy kitchen\u2014and no soggy potatoes!<\/i><\/p>\n
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Use your Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi, or other brand of electric pressure cooker to prepare your Thanksgiving meal!<\/strong> Over the next two weeks, I’ll walk you through all of my favorite Pressure Cooker Thanksgiving recipes,<\/a> including mashed potatoes, stuffing<\/a>, cranberries<\/a>, sweet potatoes<\/a>, turkey<\/a>, and pumpkin pie<\/a>! It’s going to be great!<\/p>\n
Several years ago, Frieda from Frieda Loves Bread<\/a> convinced me to make pressure cooker mashed potatoes, and I\u2019ve never looked back!<\/p>\n
But don\u2019t just take my word for it!<\/p>\n
You really have to try these for yourself!<\/p>\n
How to Cook Mashed Potatoes in the Instant Pot \/ Electric Pressure Cooker<\/b><\/h2>\n
This Instant Pot Mashed Potato<\/strong> recipe will work in any brand of electric pressure cooker, including the Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi, or Mealthy MultiPot. Pressure cookers are perfect for steaming potatoes until they\u2019re tender. (See more of my favorite <\/span>Pressure Cooker \/ Instant Pot Thanksgiving Recipes<\/span><\/a> here.<\/span>)<\/p>\n
Homemade mashed potatoes<\/strong> have never been easier!<\/p>\n
Best Potatoes for Making Mashed Potatoes<\/b><\/h2>\n
You can make this recipe with Yukon gold potatoes or russet potatoes\u2014they have the same cook time in the pressure cooker.<\/p>\n
Russet potatoes (aka Idaho potatoes) have a high starch content and make fluffy, wonderful mashed potatoes. The official Idaho Potato page recommends Idaho Russet Burbank potatoes<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Yukon golds are said to have a more buttery flavor<\/a> than white potatoes like russets. They\u2019re not quite as fluffy.<\/p>\n
Lately, when I cook mashed potatoes, I like to use a mix of russets and Yukon golds<\/a> to get the best of both worlds\u2014flavor from the Yukon and fluffiness from the russets.<\/p>\n
How Many Potatoes Can I Pressure Cook at One Time?<\/b><\/h2>\n
This recipe as written is for about 2 pounds of potatoes, which is about six side-dish servings.<\/p>\n
However, around 5 pounds of potatoes can generally fit in a 6-quart pressure cooker.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
Whether you use 2 pounds or 5 pounds, the cook time remains the same. Just make sure the potatoes are diced uniformly fit and are below the max fill line in your pressure cooker.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re cooking the maximum amount of potatoes, you\u2019ll want to be careful that no foaming or spitting comes out of the release valve. If this happens, close the switch for a few seconds and open it again in an intermittent pressure release<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Do I Have to Skin My Potatoes Before Cooking?<\/b><\/h2>\n
I prefer the texture of mashed potatoes without the skins, but you can leave them on if you like. Whether or not you skin them, be sure to give them a good scrub in cold water to get all the dirt off before slicing.<\/p>\n
(Also, keep in mind that you don\u2019t have to eat the skin to get all of the nutrients<\/a> from the potato.)<\/p>\n
Cut Into Uniform Sized Pieces<\/b><\/h2>\n
Since the thickness of foods makes the biggest difference in pressure cooking, try to keep your potatoes uniform in size so that they cook evenly.<\/p>\n
Quarter your potatoes if they\u2019re medium-sized potatoes. Make more cuts if they\u2019re larger potatoes.<\/p>\n
When cooking vegetables, it is always best to undercook them, if the potatoes do need more time, just steam them with the lid on to avoid overcooking.<\/p>\n
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Do I Have to Use a Steamer Basket?<\/h2>\n
By using steam to cook your potatoes, you\u2019ll cook them with a lower water content. This makes it more likely to have light and fluffy mashed potatoes!<\/p>\n
The easiest way to cook them is in a steamer basket. However, if you don’t have one, I recommend doing your best to stack them on the trivet that was included with your pressure cooker.<\/p>\n
You can cook them directly on the bottom of the pressure cooker, but they won’t cook as evenly and will have a higher water content.<\/p>\n
Check out more of our favorite Instant Pot \/ Pressure Cooker Accessories here.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n
Tricks for Smooth and Creamy Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes<\/b><\/h2>\n
Use the right mashing tool <\/b>For perfect, lump free mashed potatoes, I highly recommend using a ricer<\/a> or a food mill<\/a> instead of a traditional masher.<\/p>\n
How to Make Flavored Mashed Potatoes<\/b><\/h2>\n
This Instant Pot Mashed Potato recipe is a perfect side for any meat and gravy meal. (For great meat and gravy meals, try my Pressure Cooker Pork Chops and Mushroom Gravy<\/a> or my Pressure Cooker Beef Stroganoff<\/a>.)<\/p>\n
However, you can still serve mashed potatoes even if your main dish doesn\u2019t have gravy!<\/p>\n
In my cookbook<\/a>, I also have recipes for Caramelized Onion Mashed Potatoes (page 252), Twice \u201cBaked\u201d Potatoes (page 250), and Loaded \u201cBaked\u201d Potatoes (page 249).<\/p>\n
Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes with Your Instant Pot<\/b><\/h2>\n
I think potatoes are best cooked the day you want to serve them.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Be sure to spray the pot with nonstick cooking spray or rub on a little oil to prevent sticking.<\/p>\n
If they\u2019ll be warming for a few hours, add a little more milk on top of the potatoes in the pot to make sure the tops don\u2019t dry out.<\/p>\n
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How to Reheat Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n
The pot in pot method<\/a> is the perfect way to reheat your mashed potatoes in your Instant Pot without drying them out! Place 1 to 2 cups water and a trivet in the bottom of your cooking pot.<\/p>\n
How long to set the cook time depends on the amount of mashed potatoes you\u2019re reheating.<\/p>\n
What to Do with Leftover Mashed Potatoes?<\/b><\/h2>\n
I really love having leftover mashed potatoes! We\u2019ll often make a double batch and have mashed potatoes and gravy the first night.<\/p>\n
The next night, I\u2019ll make the topping from my Instant Pot Cheesy Potatoes Au Gratin<\/a>. Warm up the leftover potatoes, top with the cheese and breadcrumb topping, and pop under the broiler until the cheese is melted and the breadcrumbs are crispy.<\/p>\n
Pressure Cooker Mashed Potatoes for Thanksgiving<\/b><\/h2>\n
If you make just one pressure cooker Thanksgiving recipe this year, I definitely recommend it be mashed potatoes.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n
Check out my Pressure Cooker \/ Instant Pot Thanksgiving Guide<\/a> for tips on how to use your pressure cooker this Thanksgiving! I even have two guides to walk you through a meal, including turkey<\/a>, stuffing<\/a>, cranberry<\/a>, sweet potatoes<\/a>, and pumpkin pie<\/a>.
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If you are just getting started with your Pressure Cooker or Instant Pot, <\/span>check out our Getting Started Guide<\/span><\/a> and our <\/span>Easy Recipes for the Pressure Cooker<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n
Have you tried making Pressure Cooker Mashed Potatoes? What’s your favorite way to cook them?<\/h3>\n
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