One of the things that makes this mashed potatoes recipe so healthy is the peels. That’s because potato peels are so good for you that if you haven’t acquired a taste for them yet, perhaps you should. They’re loaded with nutrients such as vitamin C, iron, potassium, calcium, B vitamins, and about two grams of fiber per ounce. And if you think you’re doing your body a favor by eating real potatoes and not those fake spuds in chemically processed foods, but you’re still ditching the peels, do it a real service and eat certified organic potatoes with peels intact. These homemade mashed potatoes are vegan, organic, and gluten-free.
So if you’ve arrived here because you’re looking for the best mashed potatoes recipe ever that includes vegan mashed potatoes, homemade mashed potatoes, and garlic mashed potatoes, with twice baked potatoes all in one spot—well congratulations.
You’re home.
That’s because this mashed potatoes recipe rocks all of the above and more.
And maybe it’s just me, but I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t like homemade mashed potatoes.
Most folks I know love them.
And especially with a pool of melted organic vegan ‘butter’ or creamy gravy on top.
That said, a few of the most important things to keep in mind when it comes to ensuring the healthfulness and quality of your mashed potatoes recipe, is that the potatoes are certified organic, unpeeled, reheated, and optimally stacked.
So let’s start with organic.
Why that?
Isn’t it just another way of upping your food bill?
Well, not really.
Not all the time.
I’ve often seen conventional and organic potatoes listed at close to the same price, with organic sometimes cheaper, so smart shopping is key.
But what really makes shopping organic so important—and especially with potatoes—is ditching pesticides.
Potatoes have long occupied consumer lists as one of the most heavily-sprayed, chemically-saturated foods.
Which is obviously ot good.
Pesticides accumulate in the adipose tissues and wreak havoc on the biome. The biome protects immunity and that protects cells.
They can also cross the blood-brain barrier and harm cognition and other cellular functions—which clearly s bad for children and the elderly, not to mention adults.
So in reality, or at least in my opinion, the money you’ll spend over time by shopping organic and preserving your health is well worth it.
And about those peels?
When you remove them, you also remove a ton of fiber and nutrients, which is true of a lot of foods with nutritious peels.
And something as simple as sprinkling raw organic garlic, chives, onions, nutritional yeast, and other healthful toppings on your potatoes can dramatically ramp their value, aid digestion, and offset starch.
And one more thing:
Potatoes contain a prebiotic resistant starch that’s highly beneficial to your gut. It’s been shown to decrease inflammation and boost digestibility, help fight obesity, and mitigate colon cancer and inflammatory bowel disease, among other things.
And the best way to increase the level of that beneficial starch is to cook, cool, and reheat potatoes.
Repeat: cook, cool, and reheat.
It increases the level of that prebiotic by up to one-third when you use twice baked potatoes.
So what I typically do is bake a bunch of potatoes in advance and let them sit in the fridge overnight before reheating.
It can significantly up their benefits, so plan ahead.
And it’s also worth noting that potatoes with colorful peels like reds and purples are more nutrient-dense.
But skip the green. The ‘solanine’ in green potatoes can have negative health effects.
Anyway, this mashed potatoes recipe is organic, vegan, and gluten-free.
Mashed Potatoes Recipe
A lot of people believe that creamy mashed potatoes are a treat they can’t afford.
They’re either too fattening, too high in carbs, too starchy, or all of the above.
But in reality, when your mashed potatoes recipe is organic, high-fiber, and nutrient-dense—and the potatoes are twice baked potatoes topped with healthy ingredients—they’re not only a treat you can afford, they’re a perfect vegan side.
Or entree, healthy lunch idea, easy snack.
I sometimes eat potatoes as a main course.
And importantly . . .
Best Potatoes For Mashed Potatoes
So what exactly are the best potatoes for mashed potatoes?
According to this report:
If you compare the antioxidant activity of white potatoes, yellow potatoes, and purple potatoes, Yukon gold has about twice the antioxidant power as white, but purple has twenty times the antioxidants. This is comparable to what you might see in berries. A half of a purple potato has about the same polyphenol antioxidant complement as a half cup of blueberries. Purple potatoes can increase the antioxidant capacity of our bloodstream, whereas straight white potato starch can act as a pro-oxidant and decrease it. Eat a purple potato, and over the next eight hours the antioxidant capacity of your blood stream goes up. In contrast, if you eat white potato starch devoid of any pigment, you can end up worse off than where you started.
Here’s a summary of the ingredients in this mashed potatoes recipe (the full measurements are below):
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Organic potatoes.
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Organic Earth Balance (vegan butter substitute).
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Optional organic extra-virgin olive oil.
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Organic coconut milk or vegan cream.
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Natural salt and pepper.
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Organic chives.
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Organic green onion.
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Vegan sour cream.
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Organic garlic.
- Organic herbs.
Notes on Kitchenware
If you haven’t invested yet in high-quality non-toxic kitchenware, it’s well worth it. Properly cared for it lasts a long time and supports health.
You can also recycle glass jars and non-toxic containers from products you already buy and use them as food storage containers—which helps the environment and your budget.
Look for conscientious packaging (BPA & phthalate free, etc.) that you can reuse.
Vegan Mashed Potatoes Recipe
When it comes to a mashed potatoes recipe, here’s the thing:
It’s critical not to overcook the potatoes to avoid that irreversible globby goo that’ll ruin the batch.
As soon as you can smoothly pierce a fork or knife into the center, they’re done.
Usually takes 15-20 minutes max.
A quick drain in a colander to remove excess water, and on to the next step.
I personally capture the water and feed it to my houseplants when it’s cooled.
And again, if you didn’t already prep for twice baked potatoes, you can cool potatoes in the fridge or freezer prior to mixing to up the prebiotic starch.
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Turning a basic mashed potatoes recipe into a garlic mashed potatoes recipe is as easy as it sounds.
Add organic garlic powder to the mashed potatoes and chopped raw organic garlic when mixing and mashing.
For a richer flavor, saute the garlic in organic vegan butter and extra-virgin olive oil, then add back in.
Since garlic loses nutrients and medicinal value when cooked, sprinkle some raw on top at the end with your choice of fresh organic herbs and other healthy foods such as vegan sour cream, chives, vegan gravy.
You can also add plant-based ‘bacun bits.’
Mashed potatoes go well alone or as a healthy side dish with vegan patties, black bean burger patties, vegan loaves, casseroles, spicy baked tofu.
They’re also a great vegan main dish on their own with salads and healthy veggies.
The leftovers can be used for fried potato patties, potato soup, potato pancakes, or reheated.
Nutritional yeast enriches the flavor, adds nutrients, and slightly thickens the texture of mashed potatoes, but you have to like the taste because it will alter it.
I use nutritional yeast regularly and highly suggest nutritional yeast benefits.
And about those peels:
Potato peels are honestly so good for you that if you haven’t adopted a taste for them yet, perhaps you should try.
They’re loaded with vital nutrients such as vitamin C, iron, potassium, calcium, B vitamins, and about 2 grams of fiber per ounce.
They increase digestibility as well.
Mashed Potatoes Recipe
Equipment
- Large saucepan (stainless steel, cast iron, glass, ceramic, titanium, carbon steel).
- Food storage container (ceramic, glass).
- Mixing bowl (glass, stainless steel, ceramic, maple, walnut, beech, teak; formaldehyde-free bamboo).
- Colander (stainless steel).
- Potato masher (stainless steel).
- Electric mixer (stainless steel; optional if you like them chunky).
- Flatware (stainless steel, maple, walnut, beech, teak; formaldehyde-free bamboo).
- Cutlery (stainless steel).
- Cutting board (hardwood like maple, walnut, beech, teak; formaldehyde-free bamboo).
- Crockery (ceramic, glass, porcelain, maple, walnut, beech, teak; formaldehyde-free bamboo, stainless steel, lead & cadmium-free).
Ingredients
- About 6 large organic potatoes.
- About 3 tablespoons organic extra-virgin olive oil.
- 1/2-3/4 cup organic Earth Balance or vegan butter substitute.
- 1/2 cup organic vegan cream or unsweetened coconut milk.
- Himalayan, Celtic, or unprocessed salt and organic pepper to taste.
- 1/4 cup organic fresh chives.
- 1/4 cup organic green onion.
- Optional vegan sour cream.
- 2 tablespoons chopped raw organic garlic.
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast.
- You can also add rosemary, thyme, a variety of herbs and toppings of choice.
- The ingredients in this homemade mashed potatoes recipe are amendable.
Instructions
- Fill a large pot a little over halfway with filtered water and bring to a boil while you’re washing and quartering the potatoes. The boiling process also cleans them pretty well.
- Add all the potatoes when the water’s boiling, then stir and reduce to a brisk simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until you can easily pierce them with a fork or knife. Make sure they’re thoroughly tender but not mushing down.
- Drain in a colander and shake well to remove all excess water. If you’re multi-tasking or didn’t pre-bake the potatoes and want to ramp nutrients, set them in the freezer for 10 minutes or in the fridge to cool.
- Add them to a large mixing bowl with Earth Balance, organic olive oil, organic vegan ‘milk,’ and spices.
- Mash with a potato masher, adjusting the liquid and vegan butter to desired consistency. If you want them as smooth as possible, use the mixer.
- CAREFUL and go slow adding liquid ingredients because if they get too watery, there’s not a lot you can do except add more cooked potatoes.
- Once they’re done return to the saucepan and heat, stirring continuously because they’ll stick to the pan.
- Serve hot topped with organic vegan butter and/or extra-virgin olive oil, chives, green onions, garlic, vegan sour cream or ‘cheese,’ nutritional yeast, or whatever you like on mashed potatoes.
Notes
Nutrition
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The medical and health topics covered on the Plate of Grass website and blog have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to prevent or cure any disease. This article and its content is presented ‘as is’ for informational purposes only. It represents the opinions, experiences, and research of its author and is not intended as medical advice and should not be construed as such. Questions regarding your health should be directed to a qualified medical professional before beginning any treatments or programs. The use of information and materials in and/or linked to this blog is at the users’ own discretion.
