The Clever Way Ina Garten Upgrades Store-Bought Mashed Potatoes To Taste And Look Homemade

If there's a food hacker you can trust, it's Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa. Like us, sometimes Garten uses ready-made dishes to save time and stress — but she doctors them to improve them. She told the New York Times in 2022 how she makes store-bought mashed potatoes taste just like homemade.

Mashed potatoes are a favorite dinnertime side dish for the simple reason that everyone loves them. But getting a good texture on your mashed 'taters involves a lot of prep and hand-smashing. There's not always time for that — especially around the holidays. Garten occasionally uses a package of store-bought mashed potatoes, so why shouldn't we? Especially if we adhere to her tip for improving them, which involves heating the potatoes in a hot water bath and adding some luscious mix-ins: Butter, parm, sour cream, salt, and pepper. After the Ina Garten treatment, you may never want to pick up a peeler again.

When Ina Garten set out to replicate her sinfully rich parmesan smashed potatoes with pre-cooked mashed potatoes, she discovered that microwaving the potatoes as directed wasn't the key to a winning texture. Not surprising, since nuking mashed potatoes can sap their moisture and leave them gummy. Heating mashed potatoes over a simmering water bath, or bain-marie, results in an airier, non-stodgy side dish.

Using sour cream instead of milk or cream is smart, because you get the tang of the sour cream, but also a thicker, creamier texture. The butter and parm take the potatoes over the top with an unctuous, luxurious mouthfeel and rich flavor. And what's better with a real person seasoning with salt and pepper to taste? It's not Ina-approved, but you could take your upgrade a step further and add caramelized onions to your potatoes.

Serving these cheesy, delectable potatoes for a crowd? They won't last, because they are so delicious, but you can use your slow cooler to keep them nice and hot for a few hours.