Everyone loves mashed potatoes, but sadly they don’t love you back.
Whether you’re on a low-carb diet or just trying to eat healthier in general, giving up mashed potatoes is almost inevitable for most people.
Good news.
There are lots of other things that can take the place of mashed potatoes and still taste fantastic!
So, what are they?
Let’s take a closer look below.
Read more: Ginger Substitute In Curry
Best substitutes for mashed potatoes
Mashed peas
Mashed peas might not sound so good, but they are a good alternative here. The only problem with them is the skins, which need to break down. This is why you need a blender like an immersion blender. It will make them smoother and make sure they don’t get too runny.
Do not overcook the peas. Once they have softened enough, you can take them off of the stove. Do not let them get muddy green. Save a few tablespoons of water from cooking the peas and strain the rest of it out.
You might want to add a leaf or two of fresh mint when you are blending it. This will make your taste better and is less boring when mixed together with milk and butter
Sweet potato mash
Sweet potatoes can provide sweetness to balance out salty, savory dishes. They are quick to cook and soften up. Drain them well before using a blender so they don’t get watery. Add butter and heavy cream for more flavor, but you might want to add some spice too like cayenne or chili so it isn’t too sweet.
Roast turnip mash
Some people like the taste of turnips. Cut them into chunks and put them on a baking sheet. Roast them in an oven until they are soft enough to mash.
Add some butter and milk to make it easier to mash. You can also boil turnips instead of roasting, or add some apple slices while cooking for a little extra flavor. This is a very simple dish!
Roast celery root mash
To make celery root mash, peel and cut the celery root into chunks. Put it in the oven to roast. It will smell like fall is coming soon. Add some butter and milk to help it go together more easily or boil instead of roasting it. You can also add basil or rosemary if you have any on hand.
Cauliflower mash
People say cauliflower mash tastes just like mashed potatoes, but with fewer calories.
To make this cauliflower mash, you need to cook the cauliflower first. Then you need to reserve some of the cooking water and strain out the rest of it with a strainer or cheese cloth.
Mash up the cooked cauliflower without adding any liquid first. If it needs more liquid, then add some more cooking water and continue mashing until it’s completely mixed in.
You can also mix in cream cheese or shredded cheddar cheese if you want!
Mashed fried beans
Fried beans are easy to make. You can use beans like kidney, pinto, and butter beans. Kidney beans are creamy when they are fried. Mixing different types of beans together is okay too!
You can make things easier with canned beans, salt, and pepper. Cook the beans a little. Then drain almost all the water from the pot. Add butter or olive oil to help them out.
You can also add caramelized onions or onion bits if you have any of those. And bacon grease will work as well, so throw it in!
Things that make mashed potatoes taste even better
If you want to make mashed potatoes and they don’t taste good, what can you do? There are some things that you can add to the mix that can make it taste good.
And here are some of them.
Butter, heavy creamy, cream cheese
Add butter to your mashed potatoes. Butter makes the potatoes better, but you can also use margarine.
You can make mashed potatoes even better by using heavy cream instead of milk. Heavy cream brings much more fat and protein than milk.
Some people like to use cream cheese with their mashed potatoes, but others don’t like it because it makes the mashed potatoes taste too tangy for them.
Use a whole, peeled onion
You can make your mashed potatoes yummier by adding a peeled onion. It is best to peel and rinse the onion first, but it can be left whole. Smaller onions will cook faster than bigger ones.
This tastes good on mashed potatoes, you’ll see when you try it. You can also add onion powder instead of onion if you prefer that taste, but the taste is just a little different since the powder is made of dehydrated onions.
Roasted, creamy eggplant
Roasted, creamy eggplant is used in mashed potatoes. You can have some on hand, but you do not need to go out of your way to buy one if you don’t want it for another dish. Fresh eggplant can be chopped and simmered with the potatoes and they will get very creamy. Just be sure to not leave any skin on the eggplant, or else it will look bad in the mix.
Chopped fresh basil
Chopped fresh basil is like chives and spring onions. It is green and it tastes good in mashed potatoes.
Truffle oil
Truffle oil is expensive. But it also lasts a long time and comes in small bottles. You can buy cheaper truffle oils, too. Some of them are just flavored olive or vegetable oils and cost less than $5.
Add only a few drops to your mashed potatoes each time.
Truffle oil has a very strong flavor and you will easily notice it in your mashed potatoes if you use too much of it at once, so do a test batch first or take out some mashed potatoes and add just one drop to see if you like the taste before adding more!
Hot chili flakes
Some people like to add hot chili flakes. Sprinkle some in your food if you think it will be good.
Crispy bacon bits
Add crispy bacon to your potatoes before serving. Bacon will not be crispy after it has been in the potatoes for a while, so add it just before you serve them. You can also add bacon grease if you have some.
Conclusion
There are many substitutes for mashed potatoes.
This is good because you can change the taste of your meal. For people who eat mashed potatoes every day, make sure to season them differently and add some extra ingredients for a new flavor.