Are instant mashed potatoes really made from potatoes or is it some fabricated chemical combination of things made to taste mostly like potatoes?

A short while ago, Stove Top Stuffing had a campaign targeted against the lowly spud calling them bland and asking readers of their Facebook page to submit a 150 word story about how wonderful their product is…. Several food bloggers wrote “Really?” and some even took pictures of the long long list of ingredients, many of which are hard to pronounce or spell on the package.

Today I got a dry cream substitute for my cup of coffee. Look at the list of ingredients: corn syrup solids, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, sodium casein ate, dipotassium phosphate, sodium, silicoalminate, artificial color, mono-and triglycerides, soy lecithin, and artificial flavor. Only one of the above is even found to be a “milk derivative”. Take a closer look at many of the dry mashed potato products and the list is short. The steps are the same as you would do at home… wash the potatoes, cut into chunks and boil or stem them, mash, (and this next step is different but nothing secret) take the water out. Then add in any salt or pepper or dry dairy or oil and put into a box to be rehydrated with milk or cream or just plain water later to have a fluffy mashed potato. Several Idaho® mashed potatoes now even have chunks and a few have skin on to enhance the genuine potato flavor. If you haven’t tried them in a while, purchase a box and add one of the fastest side dishes you can make, to your pantry.

All Things Mashed Potatoes HERE