How to figure out how much mashed potatoes to serve for each person!
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When it comes to feeding large groups of people it can be difficult to really figure out how much food to make. All you know is that you want to make enough food for everyone to have plenty to eat. That’s why, when it comes to crowds, mashed potatoes are a popular side dish to serve. You can make a big batch pretty easily and they go a long way as far as feeding everyone.
But what if you need to figure out exactly how much mashed potatoes to make? I mean, after all, you do need to know exactly how many potatoes to buy. And what about hosting nice dinner parties where you want to have proper portions to serve? How do you know how much is the proper amount of mashed potatoes?
In my house, like most households I imagine, typically the answer to how much is the proper amount of mashed potatoes is however much you can fit on your plate. And really that’s fine with me because I also love creamy mashed potatoes! But this same rule cannot apply to large crowds or dinner parties.
So I did a little research and I’ve found the answer as to How Much Mashed Potatoes to Serve Per Person. I’m going to break down the simple answer for you along with my favorite quick method for creamy mashed potatoes, some potato tips (see what I did there?), and some of my favorite potato recipes!
Proper Serving Sizes for Mashed Potatoes
During my research on proper serving etiquette, here’s what I found out about mashed potato serving sizes:
When serving mashed potatoes as a side dish, a good rule of thumb is that you should serve about 1 cup of mashed potatoes per person. This comes out to about a ½ pound of uncooked potatoes per person. So for example, if you’re planning on feeding 12 people at a dinner party, expect to use 6 pounds of potatoes. Only feeding 6 people? Expect to use 3 pounds of potatoes.
How to Make the Quickest, Creamy Homemade Mashed Potatoes
Got a family full of potato lovers? Then you do not want to miss out on my quickest method ever for creamy mashed potatoes in 20 minutes! Here is my favorite method for making the quickest and easiest creamy mashed potatoes using the instant pot:
What You Need:
Creamy Potato Ingredients:
- 3 lb potatoes– peeled
- 1 cup water
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp Ground Pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 cup Milk
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
How to Make Quick Creamed Potatoes:
- First, wash and peel all of the potatoes.
- Next, place a silicone pressure cooker insert into the bottom of the instant pot (pressure cooker).
- Place the potatoes in the cooker, then add the water.
- Seal the cooker lid and pressure cook the potatoes for 10 minutes.
- After cooking, let the cooker sit for 5 minutes before messing with the lid. Then, open the valve and remove the lid. Use a butter knife to check that the potatoes are soft.
- Then, transfer the potatoes into a large mixing bowl and add the butter.
- Next, add the salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Mash the seasonings and potatoes together using a potato masher.
- Then, pour in the milk.
- Mash again to help incorporate the milk into the potatoes.
- Then, use a hand mixer to whip the potatoes for 3 minutes.
- Keep whipping until the potatoes reach a creamy texture.
- Finally, garnish the homemade mashed potatoes with butter, bacon bits, green onions, or even shredded cheese. Serve and enjoy!
How Long to Pressure Cook Potatoes?
When using the pressure cooker to cook potatoes, the amount of water to use and the cooking time both rely on how many potatoes you’re trying to cook, how big they are, and whether they’re whole or diced. To help you skip over the guessing game I have put together a simple chart of how much water to use per pound of potatoes, along with proper cook times for different potato sizes:
| Servings* | Pounds of ucooked potatoes | Cups |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | |
| 2 | 2 | |
| 3 | 3 | |
| 4 | 4 | |
| 5 | 5 | |
| 6 | 6 | |
| 7 | 7 | |
| 8 | 8 | |
| 9 | 9 | |
| 10 | 10 | |
| 11 | 11 | |
| 12 | 12 | |
| *One serving per one person |
More Potato Tips
- Mashed potatoes are best made with starchy potatoes, like Russet. Avoid waxy potatoes (like red potatoes) for this kind of recipe.
- Butter, milk, and sour cream are some of the best ingredients to use to make homemade mashed potatoes creamy! The higher the fat content of your milk or cream, the richer your mashed potatoes will be.
- Warm the liquids up a bit before adding them to cooked potatoes for the best results.
- Mashed potatoes can be made in a pot on the stovetop, but the quickest method is to use an instant pot like my recipe for Instant Pot Creamy Mashed Potatoes!
- To keep mashed potatoes warm, simply set a heat-safe bowl of the potatoes over a pot of simmering water, like the double boiler method. Cover the top of the bowl with plastic wrap and occasionally stir the potatoes.
Cooking Hacks
Mashed Potato Storage
To store homemade mashed potatoes: first, let them cool completely, then transfer them to an airtight container or Ziploc bag. Label the date on the outside of the container. Store the mashed potatoes in the refrigerator for 3-5 days, or in the freezer for up to 4 months.
Potato Recipes
If your family loves potato recipes then you’ve come to the right place! Here are some of my personal favorite potato recipes along with a few more delightful ways to serve those scrumptious potatoes:
- Instant Pot Creamy Mashed Potatoes
- Easy Instant Pot Potatoes (like whole, skinless baked potatoes)
- Split Pea Soup
- Classic Borscht
- Duchess Potatoes
- Potato salad
- Potato cakes
- Baked potato casserole
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