Steam Your Mashed Potatoes for Faster Mashed Potatoes.
I like to prepare thoroughly when I host Thanksgiving dinner. I have a job that allows me to hire practicing representatives; I like making lists; and I even plan a big day to make time for each dish. (You can do this too, with our customizable timeline .) Despite all this, I’m always open to shortcuts. My current favorite option is mashed potatoes. Cook your potatoes faster by steaming them.
Mashed potatoes are my favorite side dish. Although they are easy to make and even easier to eat, they take a lot of time to prepare. Boiling is time-consuming, especially for large numbers of people. You might not flinch if you boil a small pot of potatoes for yourself, but a six- to eight-quart pot usually takes up a whole lot of room on your Thanksgiving schedule. A gallon of cold water with potatoes can boil in 20 to 30 minutes covered, depending on the type of heating element you have, longer if you need more water. Once the water is boiling, it can take an extra 10 to 20 minutes to cook a large pot of potatoes, depending on whether you want to cut them up or leave them whole.
Why is it better to steam?
Steaming significantly speeds up the boiling process. Instead of waiting for four to six quarts of water and potatoes to boil, you only boil half an inch of water. No matter how many potatoes you cook, you boil the same amount of water. When steaming, the potatoes are placed on a raised platform (steaming basket). The pan is covered with a well-closing lid, and a small amount of water boils under the platform without touching the potatoes. The pan fills with hot steam as it is covered with a lid and everything inside cooks evenly.
These steamer baskets have overlapping sides to fit different sized pots:
A half-inch of water boils in just two to three minutes in a standard saucepan (cast iron or Dutch oven, like in my photo, takes about five minutes) and the potatoes begin to cook. This significantly reduces the cooking time and leaves you with just a batch of cooking time – just 10-20 minutes. Thanks to the tight lid, you don’t have to add water. A small amount of water results in less waste, and a cup of water is much easier to get to the sink and pour out.
How to steam potatoes
Prepare the potatoes as usual: peel and dice them, leaving the skins on or whole. The water level will depend on your steamer basket. The boiling water should not bubble around the potatoes at the bottom, otherwise they will be boiled potatoes and will cook at a different rate than above. First measure the basket leg or eyeball it. The ridges in my basket measure about three quarters of an inch, so I put about a half inch in the pot.
Place the basket in the pot. If you see water splashing or it is within one-eighth of an inch, remove some water. Fill the basket with potatoes. If necessary, you can stack the potatoes up to the lid of the pan. Cover the pot so that it is securely fastened and does not crack anywhere. Turn the heat to medium to high and let it steam. As soon as you hear the water boiling, set the timer.
Check the potatoes after 10 minutes if they are diced and after 15 minutes if the potatoes are medium-sized. Wear an oven mitt and/or be aware that steam will escape when you remove the lid. Keep your face back. Test the potatoes with a knife or fork as usual. It should slide easily towards the center. If it resists, cover the pan and check again after three to five minutes.
Once the potatoes are soft, turn off the heat and let them cool slightly without closing the lid. Transfer the potatoes to another pan or whatever you prefer to mash. Use the extra half hour for something that has fallen by the wayside or just for the fun of checking off your to-do list.