Potatoes, real or box...

[bettyandbob]

I detest the flavor of box potatoes, so does my dd. And I think for Thanksgiving you ought to use real. Dh told me he was making the potatoes tomorrow. He went shopping over the weekend. He bought the turkey and I thought potatoes. I made/am making pumpkin pie, apple pie, cranberry sauce, creamed spinach brussel sprouts, and corn bread. I just realized there are no potatoes in the kitchen. So, I asked "are you making potatoes?" He says "yes." Then, I mention I didn't see the potatoes and he says he got a box. 

 

Well, bummer.

 

Do you make boxed  for special meals?

[momto10blessings]

I never make boxed :)

[Miss Peregrine]

Never boxed.

[Happy]

We make real for every day meals. Potatoes are just not that hard.

 

I'd smile and enjoy what your dh fixes, though. Receive the good thoughts and ignore the rest.

[kitten18]

We are having boxed. I don't like potatoes at all, DH likes them but doesn't care if they're instant and the kids are perfectly happy with instant. If we had company, we would have real potatoes. 

 

We could do without mashed potatoes (the dressing and sweet potato casserole is a much bigger deal for us) but I feel like we *need* to have mashed potatoes on the table. 

 

 

 

[Guest]

I used to say real, until one time my mom admitted that the potatoes she had been making for a couple of years came out of a package.  She bought the Idahoan brand, and my kids loved them.  Now when they want mashed potatoes at home, they ask for those over real.  We like them because they don't have the flakey taste/texture of boxed ones.  They are the ONLY packaged ones I will eat though.

[Dandelion]

Never boxed, for any occasion.

[Caitilin]

Never boxed.

[Lisbeth]

Real!

[texasmama]

Never boxed.

[gardenmom5]

what's a box?   ;p  I haven't had boxed potatoes since my mother cooked.  before my father died.

 

we always use real potatoes.  they're easy -just boil and mash, add in some evap milk/cream and butter.  I also only serve homemade cranberry sauce (and there is an even bigger different in flavor.)   

[KungFuPanda]

I need to sit down. I can't believe this is a question.

[Moxie]

Maybe you can run to a neighbor and get some real potatoes.

 

Box--shudder.

[Eagle]

So confused. Potatoes that are "boxed" and "not real"? Off to google...

 

ETA: OMG this really exists!

[Liz CA]

Never had boxed ones but lots of seasoning may help...Happy Thanksgiving!

[MrsMommy]

Never boxed. We only have potatoes on holidays, so when I make them, they're the real thing, and they're good!

[Melissa in Australia]

I only eat real food B)

[OrganicAnn]

Never boxed. 

 

Real.  Used Ricer.  Added Sour Cream, Cream Cheese, Heavy Cream, Salt (and tomorrow butter).   Delicious.

[Kathryn]

Uh, no. Never boxed, and definitely not on Thanksgiving. Potatoes are not hard.

[mom2samlibby]

Real

[JessReplanted]

Oh, never. I would never entertain the idea of making boxed potatoes.

 

ETA: And I hate to cook, and I still wouldn't do it. :tongue_smilie:

[JessReplanted]

So confused. Potatoes that are "boxed" and "not real"? Off to google...

 

ETA: OMG this really exists!

 

:lol:

[Susan C.]

OK I always make real.

 

But.... when one of my dc got their wisdom teeth out, I got boxed when sugary mushy foods got old. I used real butter and chicken broth and they weren't bad. I really can't remember why I didn't make real, its been too long!

[katilac]

I refuse to be shamed by my boxed potatoes. They are always at the ready, standing in the pantry patiently waiting to be of service when a 5-minute side dish is needed.

 

Besides, we like them! I cook plenty of fresh potatoes in plenty of ways, but my mashed ones come out of a box. Some days, not having toaster shakings and dirt for dinner is all I need for a win. 

[Laura Corin]

I never make boxed potatoes.

 

L

[Mom in High Heels]

I have food texture issues and real mashed potatoes cause me problems.  They can be beaten and beaten, but there's still something about them that I can't handle.  Heaven forbid someone try to serve me mashed potatoes with the peel.  I practically faint at the thought of that mushing around in my mouth. :ack2:   We always do boxed.  The few holidays we've had at my IL's, my MIL makes real potatoes, but also makes a small amount of boxed for me.  

[ondreeuh]

I think real potatoes are grainy - and way too much work. I use instant flakes, but they come in bags, not boxes ;). Honest Earth Creamy Mash from Costco. They're definitely better than *my* homemade potatoes. :laugh:

 

I have no shame for using instant potatoes and Mrs. Cubbison's dressing mix. I do make my squash rolls from scratch, though.

[bettyandbob]

I should not look at this stuff on my iPad in bed late. I typed a post and never posted.

 

We will eat boxed. Well dh will and younger ds. If I can avoid them without dh noticing I will. If I had run to the store late last night, it would been interpreted as "being critical". Dh is stressed right now due work issues, I will not add on.

 

I do know some people like them, but taste is off to me. And I think it is easy to boil, drain, peel , mash or use ricer, add in milk butter and salt. I peel after I cook. Some people peel first. Hmmm...is that a frivolous poll. Should I attempt to make a poll? I don't know how?

[DawnM]

My husband makes awesome mashed potatoes, real ones.

 

My mother is a queen of boxed stuff…..she uses it.  

 

I hate the boxed stuff.  It just tastes gross.  I have eaten it, but not happily.

[Mrs Mungo]

Real.

[AlmiraGulch]

Never, ever boxed.  Mashed potatoes with real potatoes are so easy and so, so good! 

 

ETA:  Here's my confession....I had no idea what a ricer was.  I kept reading about it so I looked it up.  I've never seen one of those in my life.  Why would you use one?  Why wouldn't you just mash the potatoes?  I cannot believe in my  42 years of life I've never seen a ricer.  Odd.  

[Luckymama]

I have never eaten boxed potatoes.

[Pawz4me]

I have a potato casserole recipe that calls for boxed potatoes, and it's fabulous.  But it's dressed up with lots of butter, cream cheese and sour cream.  I take it to potlucks/covered dish events and always get rave reviews.  And I have a heavenly cream of potato soup recipe that calls for some instant potatoes for thickening, although you (of course) use real ones for the base of the soup.  So I do use boxed potatoes sometimes.

 

For regular meal home use I often get a package of refrigerated or frozen mashed potatoes because only DH and I eat them, and while making mashed potatoes from scratch certainly isn't hard, it just doesn't seem worth the mess to make real ones for such a small amount.

[J-rap]

I've never made boxed potatoes.  But weirdly, I love the flavor of them!

[RoughCollie]

I used to say real, until one time my mom admitted that the potatoes she had been making for a couple of years came out of a package.  She bought the Idahoan brand, and my kids loved them. 

 

My mom uses Idahoan boxed potatoes, too.  We took a vacation last September and she bought them along.  I was surprised at how good they were. Our dog club has a Christmas banquet every year, and that's what we use beginning last year.  No one can tell they are instant mashed, and it saves me the labor of peeling 80 potatoes.  My family likes them, too.

 

I use Idahoan at our house for ordinary dinners.  Only for holidays and birthdays am I willing to peel potatoes to make mashed potatoes.  Guests get baked potatoes unless they are from Boston and already know what my real mashed potatoes taste like, because my Boston friends request them.  They don't know I've gone over to the dark side.

[trulycrabby]

Whatever works, IMO.

[poppy]

I grew up with instant and LOVE it.  Only ingredient: potatoes. They're real. And delicious.  And the easiest thing to cook in the universe. 

 

 

[Amy in NH]

Never, ever boxed.  Mashed potatoes with real potatoes are so easy and so, so good! 

 

ETA:  Here's my confession....I had no idea what a ricer was.  I kept reading about it so I looked it up.  I've never seen one of those in my life.  Why would you use one?  Why wouldn't you just mash the potatoes?  I cannot believe in my  42 years of life I've never seen a ricer.  Odd.  

 

I also had to look it up.  It looks like a giant garlic press?  I heard someone on Fresh Air say that you use one to sort of puree the potatoes so they have no lumps - like baby food.

[ThatHomeschoolDad]

I use boxed pots as a bread ingredient, and as such, consider eating them as a discrete item about as often as I consider adding a teaspoon of raw flour to my tea. 

 

I did just get a ricer, however, and it's pretty awesome.

[MrsBasil]

I don't care for the taste or texture of the boxed mashed potatoes I've had, so I always use real.

 

I have nothing against boxed/convenience food though.  My Grandma's "secret recipe" for scalloped potatoes is Betty Crocker!  :D

 

I'll still never get forget the first fancy dinner I made for DH.  I made homemade scalloped potatoes and DH ate them and tells me. "You should get your mom and Grandma's recipe for scalloped potatoes.  Yours are good, but I like the cheesiness of their recipe."

 

Me:  Death glare, "Their recipe is a box mix."     

 

Pretty sure DH did ALL the dishes that night.  And now I make boxed when DH wants scalloped, though again the taste and texture is weird to me.  :lol:

[AlmiraGulch]

I also had to look it up. It looks like a giant garlic press? I heard someone on Fresh Air say that you use one to sort of puree the potatoes so they have no lumps - like baby food.

I think that would be gross. I like my potatoes a little but lumpy.

 

Despite my earlier exclamation of "Only real potatoes!" I actually do eat the packages ones on occasion. I just started this a few weeks ago after having the Idahoan ones at mybaister's house. They aren't bad in a pinch and only take about 5 minutes total to make. I always add stuff to them to make them extra creamy and yummy. They don't have lumps, though, and so the texture is not my favorite thing.

[KungFuPanda]

So confused. Potatoes that are "boxed" and "not real"? Off to google...

 

ETA: OMG this really exists!

They also have canned, sliced potatoes. I learned this when camping with friends. They sure were easy :-)

 

 

Isn't instant mashed potatoes what they put in all those TV dinners in the 80s?

[MomtoCandJ]

Real, instant makes me gag

[regentrude]

Real.

Boxed is for backpacking.

[luvnlattes]

Always real potatoes.

[HollyDay]

I'm doing boxed today.  Everyone but youngest dd wants stuffing and not potatoes.  Youngest dd won't eat stuffing and wants potatoes.  So, for the sake of room in the fridge speed of preparation, I'm using boxed.  I've done this the past 3 years and it has been fine. 

 

But, for Christmas, everyone wants potatoes.  So, I'll make a big batch of real potatoes early in the day and use the crockpot to keep them nice and warm. 

[TammyinTN]

Real with lots of butter, sour cream and cream cheese..yum! 

[Kari C in SC]

Pioneer woman's creamy mashed potatoes all the way. My family is in love with them.

[ErinE]

Real. To me, boxed potatoes are flavored with the cardboard it's packaged in. But I'm weird about food packaging. I struggle eating canned and plastic goods because the food seems to absorb the metal and plastic flavor.

 

Plus, the texture reminds me of microwave dinner potatoes.

[PinkyandtheBrains.]

I grew up with boxed, I don't mind them.  For family gatherings and such we make them from scratch.