Mashed potatoes made in a bag? Might sound a little strange, but it totally works and has some great benefits. These are some seriously luxurious mashed potatoes, buttery and creamy. But you can still really taste those delicious potatoes that are the star of the show.
Why This Recipe Works
The big benefit of this recipe is the great undiluted potato flavor you get because the potatoes aren’t cooked in water. The other benefits are ease of warming, serving and clean-up.
How to Make Sous Vide Mashed Potatoes
While your sous vide bath is heating to 194° F, peel and cut the potatoes into 1″ squares. Then combine all the ingredients in the bath, and let cook for 45 to 60 minutes; test for doneness by squeezing to see if the potatoes are soft (being careful not to burn yourself). Then you just finish in your preferred style (see below) and serve. Make sure to serve warm, as cold potatoes firm up a bit and lose that perfect texture. Reheat them if needed.
Two Texture Options
Not everyone likes their potatoes the same. Some are offended by a lump in their mashed potatoes and some like them a little more chunky. Whichever variety you are going for, making either with this recipe is easy. And heck, you can even make both versions to please everyone.
Smooth with No Lumps
AKA Potato Puree. For those who prefer them super smooth and delicate.
After cooking: Drain and reserve the liquid, pass the potatoes through a potato ricer or a food mill into a warm bowl to remove all the lumps. Then just add the hot milk, cream and butter to the bowl and mix well. Definitely keep this style warm when serving.
A Little Lumpy
For those who prefer the more traditional and easy-going style with a little variety in the texture. After cooking, transfer everything to a warm bowl and use a potato masher to just mash it all up together.
Benefits of Making Mashed Potatoes Sous Vide
- Make them ahead of time, refrigerate right in the bag and rewarm at mealtime.
- Keep them warm right in the bag.
- No need to heat the butter, cream and milk separately.
- The potatoes don’t get flooded with water like when you boil them, so you get better, richer flavor.
- Fewer dishes to clean.
The Type of Potato
Any type of potato will work. I am a huge fan of the flavor and creamy texture of Yukon Golds. They require less butter than Russets to achieve that creamy texture because of their lower starch content. Russets are great, too. If that’s what you have on hand or prefer, go for it. Just taste test after mashing for salt and butter levels.
Optional Add-Ins
- Roasted garlic for garlic mashed potatoes
- Cheese (cheddar or Parmesan are favorites)
- Fresh herbs, such as thyme or rosemary, added at the end
- Bacon (goes well with cheddar)
- Sliced chiles for a spicy zing.
Related Recipes
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- Sourdough Stuffing with Sausage
- Sous Vide Potatoes
- Creamy Mashed Potatoes
- Sweet Potatoes + Maple Miso Butter
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Sous Vide Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
- 4 oz. unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 1/2 tsp. Diamond kosher salt
- freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat water bath to 194° F.
- Peel and dice potatoes into 1" pieces.
- Place all ingredients in a large Ziplock bag and use the water displacement method to remove air and seal. Then it's into the water bath for 45 to 60 minutes. Carefully do a quick squeeze test to confirm potatoes are soft and cooked through.
- Transfer the potatoes and liquid to a bowl and mash.
- OR for pureed potatoes with no lumps: Drain the liquid into a warm bowl, then pass the cooked potatoes through a potato ricer or food mill in with the liquid. Stir to combine.
- Taste for seasoning and serve warm.
Notes
-
- Add a few heavy spoons to the bag if it is not staying submerged in the water.
- The recipe can easily be scaled up or down depending on how much you need.
- Serve with chopped fresh herbs such as chives.
- Optional: Add some fresh thyme sprigs and some of the potato peels to the bag to infuse more potato thyme flavors.
Maybe a little less milk, but this is my new go to for mashed potatoes. They stayed in the water bath until the last minute. They were hot and the potatoes were not waterlogged or dry from keeping warm.
So glad to hear it! That is definitely one of the advantages is you can keep them ready until you are ready and they turn out great.