Description
These creamy, fluffy mashed potatoes are so easy, thanks to the pressure cooker! They’re the perfect accompaniment to a hearty home-cooked meal and perfect for the holidays. (Gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan + Whole30 options!)
NOTE: These take about 15 minutes to come to pressure + 9 minutes to cook + 5 minutes to release the steam + mash. Once you’ve prepped the ingredients, you’re looking at about 30 minutes start-to-finish.
Ingredients
- 3 lbs. potatoes, washed, peeled, and diced into 1” cubes*
- 1 cup water or broth (can use chicken or vegetable broth)
- 1/2–1 cup milk (we like unsweetened cashew or almond milk–use what you drink!)
- 4–6 Tbsp. butter, ghee, vegan butter, or olive oil.
- 1 tsp. salt (more or less, to taste)
- pepper and herbs, to taste.
Instructions
- Put diced potatoes into the Instant Pot. Pour in 1 cup of water or broth, and sprinkle with salt.
- Secure the Instant Pot lid and be sure the vent is set to “SEALING” (not “venting”)
- Press Manual/Pressure Cook and set the timer for 9 minutes.
- Allow Instant Pot to come to pressure and cook for 9 minutes (in my test batches, it took 12-15 minutes to come to pressure)
- After 9 minutes of cooking, press CANCEL, and carefully switch the vent to “VENTING” to quick release steam from the Instant Pot. (It takes 1-2 minutes for the steam to release fully)
- Carefully open the lid.
- Add 1/2 cup milk, and 4 Tbsp. butter/ghee/oil. to the potatoes and use a hand-held masher to mash the potatoes to your desired smoothness, adding more milk and/or butter, as desired. (You can use a hand mixer on the lowest speed to mash your potatoes, but try not to over-beat, as this can cause red and yellow potatoes to get gluey)
- Taste and add more salt as desired. Garnish with pepper, fresh herbs, etc.
Notes
*IF YOU LIKE YOUR MASHED POTATOES WITH SKINS ON, you can leave skins on 1/2 to all the potatoes. Note: I only recommend skins-on for red or Yukon gold potatoes. Russets don’t blend well.
POTATOES TO USE: Peeled Russet potatoes will be very smooth, light, and fluffy. If you like more hearty “homestyle” texture, I recommend red potatoes or Yukon Gold potatoes.
FLAVOR VARIATIONS: Feel free to add 1 clove minced fresh or roasted garlic to the cooked potatoes. Or, try a pinch of rosemary or thyme. Or, add 1/2-1 Tbsp. of flavored olive oil (such as roasted garlic, rosemary, basil, etc. as part of the fat you add to the potatoes)
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 9 minutes
- Category: Side Dish, Potatoes
- Method: Instant Pot, Pressure Cooker
- Cuisine: American