Healthier AND Easier Mashed Potatoes–No Butter, Milk, Sour Cream, Cream Cheese

My husband’s grandfather was raised in France and had a very ecclectic flair about him. One thing he loved to do was to make and eat good food. My sister in law will never forget the day she was making dinner and her grandfather came over, tasted the dish, spit in it, and then declared it done. Not exactly my cooking style, but hey, who am I to judge?

Unlike spitting in food, there was one thing Grandpa D taught us to do that we’ve usedever since. Something that sounds a little odd, but makes the world of difference. And that is to add a raw egg to piping hot potatoes right before mashing them. Eggs are emulsifiers which means they help bind things together. Adding an egg makes for very creamy mashed potatoes.

A little while ago, we were having company over for dinner and I was making mashed potatoes. Being on a dairy free diet, I knew I couldn’t use my typical butter, sour cream, and heavy cream to make the mashed potatoes amazing. I planned on just using my Smart Balance with Flax butter and some rice milk. They don’t make for the best mashed potatoes, but it was better than nothing.

Imagine my dismay when I opened the fridge and discovered that we had none of my butter! The company was already in our home so we couldn’t run to the store to get more. Plus, the potatoes were hot and would be cold by the time we got back. In a moment of desperation, we decided to just go with the egg trick and some rice milk and hope that they were at least edible.

What we discovered was our new favorite way to make mashed potatoes! I threw the egg into the hot potatoes, whipped them together and found that they were instantly the perfect consistency. Better than with butter and all the other stuff. We added salt and pepper and absolutely loved dinner.

Since that night, we don’t make mashed potatoes any other way. We add one or two eggs, depending on how many potatoes we are using. Our basic rule of thumb is that if it isn’t amazingly creamy, add another one.

Not only does this trick make really yummy mashed potatoes, but it is better for you too (less calories, fat, sodium, though a little higher in cholesterol)! Check out the facts.

8 potatoes 8 potatoes
¼ cup butter 2 eggs
¼ cup sour cream VS Salt
2 Tbs heavy cream Pepper
Salt
Pepper

If you try it, I hope you enjoy it!

**You may be wondering about the raw egg part. Of course do what you feel comfortable with. However, when you put the egg into the potatoes right after you drained them, they are still really, really hot so the egg gets pretty cooked. What I’ve read is that the likelihood of consuming a contaminated egg (when bought from the store) is extremely low, so I don’t worry about it. Also, this method doesn’t hold up well for leftovers. They’re a little dry. All you need to do is add a little milk the next day before warming up the leftovers and they’ll be nice and creamy again.**

About Cheri

Hi! I’m Cheri and I’m so excited to be blogging with you! I am a stay at home mom with 4 little girls and one little boy, with another baby girl on the way. We have a third grader, first grader, kindergartner, 3 year old, and 18 month old. So, I guess you can say life is pretty busy. But my heart is even more full than my hands, and I wouldn't change a thing. Like my post? Please comment.
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1 Response to Healthier AND Easier Mashed Potatoes–No Butter, Milk, Sour Cream, Cream Cheese

  1. Emily says:

    Who knew???

    Love it. But its a toss up. Creamy potatoes with an egg, or spitty potatoes with…character?? 😉

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