The best part of making mashed potatoes is getting to be the person who licks the pot clean after transferring them into a serving dish. I personally substitute mashed potatoes for pasta in many recipes because I can't get enough of the creamy, buttery texture.
I like to keep my mashed potatoes simple- just potato, a little butter, milk and salt.
Ingredients:
1/2 - 1 Potato per person (I like Russet or Yukon Gold)
Milk
Salt
Butter
Directions:
Peel the potatoes. You can leave the skin on, but I personally prefer to peel them.
Chop potatoes into small cubes or slices
Put the potatoes in a large pot, and cover with cold water
Turn the heat up to high, and boil the potatoes till they reach a rapid boil, then turn down the heat so the water is still boiling, but not as rapidly, and cook for about 10 min.
When potatoes are soft (and you can easily smash them with a fork), strain the water using a colander, and transfer the potatoes back into the pot
Slowly add in milk and butter to taste, while mashing the potatoes with a potato masher, to get them creamy. But be careful not to add in too much. Go little by little with both, taste testing as you go.
Salt to your liking, then mix everything really well with a wisk, and serve!