I’m currently sitting in the Nashville airport waiting to board my delayed flight and thinking about my Thanksgiving menu. With Thanksgiving only two weeks away, it’s time to start planning.
In the past, we’ve made pumpkin pie, cranberry sauce, butternut squash mashed potatoes, sweet potato biscuits, plain ol’ fluffy biscuits, and stuffing. Over the next couple of weeks, I want to add more recipes to the current options here on the blog. To start, we’re going to make mashed potatoes.
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Later this week, we’ll make a real food version of green bean casserole (no condensed soup or ingredients you can’t pronounce). And next week we’re going to make a real food version of sweet potato casserole that relies on roasting the potatoes to enhance the naturally sweet flavor.
Let’s talk about today’s mashed potatoes. These aren’t your normal potatoes. This recipe relies on the Instant Pot to simplify the entire cooking process.
Why make mashed potatoes in the Instant Pot?
Making mashed potatoes in the Instant Pot is a fast and easy experience. How fast? 6 minutes! That’s not a typo. I was skeptical of this 6-minute magic when Helen first sent me her testing notes and recipe. Being skeptical comes too easy for me. And let me just tell you, 6 minutes is legit. It’s a game-changer.
How easy? Well, the answer can be summed up with two words: no drain. When you cook potatoes in the Instant Pot, you don’t have to drain any water from the potatoes. Once the potatoes are done cooking, simply add the remaining ingredients–butter, salt, and cream–and you’re done. That’s it.
Making mashed potatoes in the Instant Pot is an easy and hands-off process, for the most part.
Just like I said about hard and soft boiled eggs and dry beans, I don’t think I can go back to making mashed potatoes on the stove-top. And once again, my love for the pressure cooker deepens.
As I’ve mentioned before, the electric pressure cooker is a tool that simplifies real food cooking. That’s why I’m such a big advocate for this appliance. I believe everyone should consider purchasing and using an electric pressure cooker.
This Thanksgiving, and throughout the mashed potato season (fall and winter), try making your potatoes in the Instant Pot. I think you’ll be impressed with the simplicity and ease of the pressure cooker method.
4-Ingredient Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes (No-Drain, One-Pot Method)
Ingredients
- 1 cup water or vegetable or chicken broth/stock
- 3 lbs Yukon Gold Potatoes
- 4 TB unsalted butter cut into tablespoon-size pieces*
- 1-4 TB heavy cream depending on consistency desired
- 1-2 tsp salt to taste
Special Equipment:
- vegetable peeler
- 6 quart Instant Pot **
- potato masher or hand-mixer
Instructions
- Add one cup of water or broth/stock to the Instant Pot.
- Wash and peel the potatoes. Cut the potatoes into 1-inch chunks and add to the Instant Pot.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot and set the valve to Sealing.
- Press the Manual or Pressure Cook button (depending on model), High Pressure, and set the cook time (using the +/- buttons) to 6 minutes.
- When the cooking time is up, perform a quick release using a hold pad holder or towel. Steam will shoot out from the valve so make sure your Instant Pot isn't sitting under kitchen cabinets or shelves.
- Add the butter (cut into tablespoon-size pieces) and 1 teaspoon of salt to the cooked potatoes.
- Use a hand-mixer or potato masher (my preference) to mash the potatoes with the butter and salt, until you've reached the desired texture.
- Add as much cream as needed to reach your desired texture. Taste the potatoes and season with more salt, if needed. Serve warm. I like to drizzle extra melted butter or olive oil over the potatoes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
This is the PERFECT instant pot, no drain method for yummy mashed potatoes! They are perfect and I love how I was able to customize the amount I made too by using the toggle for how many servings. Made these with your mini meatloaves for tonight! Can’t wait to try it all together.
Yay, Heather, so happy to hear that!
How many potatoes for 3 lbs?
Hey Rina, This really depends on the size of the potatoes. It could be 10 smaller potatoes or just 5-6 very large potatoes.This guide may help: https://www.thekitchn.com/heres-what-1-pound-of-white-potatoes-looks-like-231831
If I were to halve the recipe, should I reduce the water to 1/2 cup? I tried it using just 1 1/2 lbs of potatoes and ended up with lots of water left over. Despite then having to drain them, everyone said they were THE best mashed potatoes ever!
Hey Brooke, I’m glad everyone enjoyed them! Technically, according to Instant Pot, you need at least 1 cup of water for the Instant Pot to work properly. So I’d be hesitant to reduce the amount of water.
From now on, this is the ONLY Instant Pot mashed potato recipe I will use! They were absolutely perfect. The tip about weighing the potatoes was helpful- it made a huge difference. Also, using a potato ricer makes them lump free!
Thank you for a fabulous recipe!
YAY! So happy you love it. It’s one of my favorites too!
LS Team
Do you think i could triple this in a 8 Qt? I usually make 10 lbs of potatoes at a time. Thanks!
This works great! I used half water and half milk, When you open the instant pot after 6 minutes, the liquid has basically evaporated, so no soggy water logged potatoes. Added butter and creme fraiche. Simple and delicious. Thank you!
Sounds amazing, Jan! Thanks for sharing.
LS Team
Can you add some cauliflower to these to make a potato/cauli mash?
Hi Gail,
Potatoes and cauliflower have two different cook times. So I wouldn’t recommend adding them together. Cauliflower only needs about 3 mins adding it together could make it mush.
LS Team.
I wanted awesome instant pot mashed potatoes that didn’t require draining, and this recipe was just right!
Yay, Lisa! So glad you enjoyed them.
For some reason … always has worked perfectly before but my exact Instant Pot wouldn’t come up to 6 minutes on my Pressure Cooking setting no matter how many times I tried. I just winged it all and got something that seemed like mashed potatoes but most strange. Can’t imagine what I did wrong … but my Instant Pot is working perfectly this next time for just some steaming of Cabbage Soup. Anyone have any ideas?
Hey Margie, So your pressure cooker wasn’t working? It wouldn’t come up to 6 minutes?
Are you getting an actual error message? Is it not coming to pressure before counting down? What exactly is going wrong…?
Can you use russets?
Hey Roger, They aren’t as creamy, but they should work.
By far the best mashed potatoes (in my humble opinion) 🙂 I like to add a clove of garlic in while its cooking so when you beat it all up at the end, its garlic mashed potatoes :))
I sure wish these recipes would say how many servings and if they can be doubled or tripled.
Hey Anne, The servings are listed in the recipe (near the cook, prep times). Every recipe contains a serving size. For this, we say 6 people/servings. Although if you’re serving these for Thanksgiving, when you have a ton of other sides, I think you can definitely serve 8 people with this recipe. For Instant Pot recipes, we don’t recommend doubling or tripling recipes which is why it isn’t mentioned in the recipe. My thought is you could try doubling this recipe, as long as the potatoes don’t reach the max line in the liner.
Wondering if you can make these a day ahead to reheat on Thanksgiving Day?
Hey Belinda, Definitely! They reheat well.
I love these potatoes. I use chicken stock instead of water. Add chopped garlic and herbs, (your choice) and butter, and sour cream. My family loves them.
Hey Bonnie, I’m so happy to hear that! Your additions to the potatoes sound amazing!!!
What is a good llactose free alternative to the cream…
Hey Maggie, I don’t think there is a great sub here. Maybe try unsweetened dairy-free milk? Or, if you can handle butter, go with 8 tablespoons of butter and no cream or milk. I’ve made mashed potatoes with olive oil in the past (love them this way). That’s another option for this recipe: https://livesimply.me/2017/01/20/lightened-up-herbed-mashed-potatoes/
The creamy part of canned coconut milk works well as a heavy cream sub, or you can use lactose free sour cream or lactose free whole milk
You can buy coconut cream in a can at most stores, but it can be hard to find. If you take a can of coconut milk and leave it upside down in your fridge, the cream will separate from the watery coconut milk and you can scoop it out and use that. I add a little extra pepper to anything I use coconut cream in to balance out any residual coconut flavor. my friends also saw that cashew milk is a tasty, thicker milk substitute
I make it vegan for my son! Veggie broth, Earth Balance (butter sub), and vegan coffee creamer! DEELISH! S&P of course