How Many Spuds Do You Need To Make A Batch Of Mashed Potatoes?

Whether you're prepping for a holiday feast or just cooking up a side for a homemade dinner, mashed potatoes pair well with a variety of foods. The fluffy, creamy food complements meats and vegetables, making it a hearty holiday side dish. If you plan on preparing the potatoes to serve alongside turkey, stuffing, and green bean casserole, you'll want to plan ahead and make sure you have enough for all your guests.

Before you buy your potatoes, you'll need to know how many people you plan to serve. In general, you'll want to plan to make between one third to one half pound of potatoes per person. So if you're cooking for a group of 10, plan to mash up anywhere from three and one third to five pounds of potatoes.

Of course, you can always adjust the amount per person depending on how many other sides you're serving up. If you want mashed potatoes to be a prominent dish, it's best to cook up a few extra, just in case. But if you'll have a wider variety of foods for your dinner guests to choose from, you may be able to get away with cutting back a little bit.

It's best to measure your potatoes by weight, rather than quantity, to ensure you're cooking up enough for a crowd. Depending on which type of potato you plan on using, the sizes of the spuds can vary, leaving you with inconsistent quantities when purchased by quantity alone. In general, you should opt to pick up larger-sized potatoes when you're planning to mash them.

Though you should be double checking the weight using a scale, you can estimate the weight by looking at the size of the potatoes. Some large potatoes can weigh around a half pound each, so 10 large potatoes could weigh roughly five pounds — enough for 10 people to eat.

Although a half pound of potatoes per person may seem a little excessive, the side dish is a pretty versatile food. While some guests may like just a little bit of butter or gravy on top of the spuds, others might dress it up a little extra by adding bacon, green onions, or cheese. And if you wind up with leftover mashed potatoes, you can always transform them into a variety of dishes.

If you do wind up with leftover mashed potatoes, you can, of course, simply reheat them to enjoy for another meal. But if you'd rather transform them into a brand new dish, there are plenty of options. Once the potatoes are reheated, add a little bit of seasoning and use them as a topping for a shepherd's pie. Adding an egg to the potatoes can turn them into a gnocchi dough.

Mashed potatoes can also be used as a filling. If they're sealed inside a dumpling-like dough, they can be boiled or sautéed as potato and cheese pierogi. If you prefer a more bread-like exterior, pirozhki are a Russian food that can satisfy that craving. A yeast dough exterior can be baked or fried and is often filled with mashed potatoes.

When prepping for your holiday dinner, stick to cooking up around a half pound of potatoes per person. You'll avoid running out of the side dish, and your guests may even be grateful to take home leftovers.