How To: Make Perfect Mashed Potatoes on Thanksgiving

From choosing the right potato to the movement at which you mash your cut and boiled spuds, making the perfect mashed potatoes requires more attention to detail than you might think.

First things first — choose the right potato based on your personal preference for whether you like your mashed potatoes creamy or fluffy. You can't go wrong with making mashed potatoes out of a combination of Russet and Yukon gold.

When you're boiling your potatoes, make sure they are cut and peeled, and placed in a pot of cold water. Once the potatoes are soft to the point of no resistance when poked with a knife, it's important to drain the potatoes and heat them over low heat until they're hot and dry.

Mash the potatoes with an up-and-down movement with a masher, and mix in heated butter and heated milk or cream. For extra fluffiness, add a pinch of baking soda. It's important that the extra ingredients you're mixing in with the hot and dry potatoes are also heated or melted.

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