# Mashed potatoes without milk/cream?



## Kyle (Jan 25, 2012)

My stupid roommate is allergic to dairy (not just lactose intolerant) so I'm looking for a good mashed potatoes recipe that doesn't use milk or cream. He can eat butter, but he can't touch milk or cream. I did googling and I see suggestions ranging from soy milk to water to chicken stock. Is there a good milk free way to do it or should I just stick with baked or roasted potatoes?


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## apicius9 (Jan 25, 2012)

One of my favorites is to add some nice olive oil, a bit of lemon juice, and some sage, thin with a touch of stock/broth if necessary (but that just means you didn't use enough oil  ). I leave it a little lumpy, more like lightly smashed potatoes. Great with fish or chicken.

Stefan


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## WildBoar (Jan 25, 2012)

Stefan pretty much covered a couple good options.

Olive oil (plus some fresh herbs) is great, but leave the potatoes a more smashed then mashed. And a prep with stock works well with a finer mash (and can supplement with some parmigano or other grated hard cheese).


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## stevenStefano (Jan 25, 2012)

I never put milk or cream in mine. Just butter and salt and pepper and it tastes great. Why make it more complicated than you need to?


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## Andrew H (Jan 25, 2012)

stevenStefano said:


> I never put milk or cream in mine. Just butter and salt and pepper and it tastes great. Why make it more complicated than you need to?



If the roommate is allergic to dairy butter won't do.
Olive oil works, but really nothing is as good as butter + cream.


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## bikehunter (Jan 25, 2012)

There are those who feel that mashed potatoes without milk or cream aren't worth any bother at all. Use the potatoes for something else. ;-)


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## Kyle (Jan 25, 2012)

Andrew H said:


> If the roommate is allergic to dairy butter won't do.
> Olive oil works, but really nothing is as good as butter + cream.



Actually, butter is fine, but milk and and most cheeses are not. I guess it's some bacteria that is present in milk that he is allergic too but butter isn't an issue.


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## Andrew H (Jan 25, 2012)

Kyle said:


> Actually, butter is fine, but milk and and most cheeses are not. I guess it's some bacteria that is present in milk that he is allergic too but butter isn't an issue.



Oops, should've read your OP more carefully. Lucky for him that he can have butter.


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## ajhuff (Jan 25, 2012)

I have not tried it with potatoes but I have had some success in replacing dairy with soy yogurt.

-AJ


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## bikehunter (Jan 25, 2012)

I s'pose sour cream or cream cheese won't work for him, as well?


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## Kyle (Jan 25, 2012)

bikehunter said:


> I s'pose sour cream or cream cheese won't work for him, as well?



Nope!

I may just stick with baked potatoes.


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## Johnny.B.Good (Jan 25, 2012)

Kyle said:


> Nope!
> 
> I may just stick with baked potatoes.



Or find a new roommate.


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## Kyle (Jan 25, 2012)

Johnny.B.Good said:


> Or find a new roommate.



haha

When he goes out of town or if we just know he won't be eating dinner with us that night, my other roommate and I always go crazy with cheese dishes-- mac & cheese, nachos, etc. Basically just junk food that we wouldn't normally make when he is home.


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## bikehunter (Jan 25, 2012)

Kyle said:


> Nope!
> 
> I may just stick with baked potatoes.



Well, if *YOU *like mashed potatoes a lot, there's no reason why you can't take a large baked potato and mash it with butter, milk/cream and let your roommate eat it baked....and deal with his own deprivation. ;-) I only suggest this as I couldn't *LIVE *without mashed potatoes. <g>


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## ThEoRy (Jan 25, 2012)

Crushed yukon gold potatoes.

Start with the yukon gold potatoes skin on, some whole shallots a few thyme sprigs, salt and pepper in a pot with cold water.

Turn the heat on high and bring up to a boil. Once it starts to boil, turn it off and let the potatoes sit in the hot water till done. Strain, then cool.

Now I take the potatoes and push them through a cross wire rack like this...






Now to reheat, put some extra virgin olive oil in a pot, cast iron if you have it, the crushed potatoes, and season with kosher salt and fresh white pepper. Turn it up and heat thoroughly. It's nice when you get the crispy caramelized bits on the bottom so don't worry, that's exactly what you want. 

Simple, fast, delicious. Enjoy!


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## bikehunter (Jan 25, 2012)

Sound delicious...simple and fast? Not so much. ;-)


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## ThEoRy (Jan 25, 2012)

bikehunter said:


> Sound delicious...simple and fast? Not so much. ;-)



Extremely simple, and faster than traditional mash.


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## bikehunter (Jan 25, 2012)

Whatever. I wish we lived close enough for a little contest. ;-)


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## apicius9 (Jan 25, 2012)

I see a video coming....


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## stereo.pete (Jan 25, 2012)

I've never had any complaints from friends and family when I was on a health kick and used low sodium chicken stock in place of heavy creme. Chicken stock + Butter + mashed potatoes = very tasty.


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## Eamon Burke (Jan 25, 2012)

Just beat up the potatoes and leave them be. Butter yours on your plate, or scoop roomie's out and finish yours properly(that's what I do. My wife is off eggs, dairy and gluten. It's tough.).

If you can , Mountain King has a variety called King Rustic. They are AMAZINGLY creamy potatoes, if you can find them. They are seasonal or special order or something like that.


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## Johnny.B.Good (Jan 25, 2012)

ThEoRy said:


> Extremely simple, and faster than traditional mash.



That does sound good.

Stefan's solution sounds pretty good too.


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## Johnny.B.Good (Jan 25, 2012)

Andrew H said:


> Lucky for him that he can have butter.



Now that's a nice "glass half full" attitude.


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## WildBoar (Jan 25, 2012)

D'oh -- glad Theory pointed out to use Yukon Golds for the olive oil prep :whistling:


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## bikehunter (Jan 25, 2012)

Yukon Golds are, for me at least, the ONLY thing for mashed, no matter what your recipe. ;-).


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## ThEoRy (Jan 25, 2012)

bikehunter said:


> Whatever. I wish we lived close enough for a little contest. ;-)



What would the contest be, who could boil water faster? I hope you don't live in Colorado 

If you want them done even faster, just don't cool them down. Strain em and press em straight through the grate. 

It really is super easy and way faster than mashed potatoes though, you should try it. No peeling, no cutting, just throw it all in a pot and start working on something else.


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## Andrew H (Jan 25, 2012)

Johnny.B.Good said:


> Now that's a nice "glass half full" attitude.



If I couldn't have cream, milk (and cheese?) I would need to have a glass half full attitude.


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## bikehunter (Jan 25, 2012)

ThEoRy said:


> What would the contest be, who could boil water faster? I hope you don't live in Colorado
> 
> If you want them done even faster, just don't cool them down. Strain em and press em straight through the grate.
> 
> It really is super easy and way faster than mashed potatoes though, you should try it. No peeling, no cutting, just throw it all in a pot and start working on something else.



Nope...Idaho. Except for Yukon Gold, We are too far apart anyhow ThEoRy. I can't imagine the creamy goodness I want in mashed potatoes by pressing them thru a grate, and without some dairy of some kind (butter is a given). And, for the same reason, I would _NEVER _leave them unpeeled. Shrug


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## Diamond G (Jan 25, 2012)

I dont know if this would work for your friend, but Ive used dry coffee creamer, butter salt and pepper for whipped potatoes. Worked great for me, and I think its non dairy creamer!

God Bless
Mike


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## ThEoRy (Jan 25, 2012)

Well, it's an alternative to whipped potatoes really. The skins mostly get caught by the grate and don't pass through. This is really more of a rustic side dish I suppose. But it's nice for a change of pace without all the heaviness of cream and butter.


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## bikehunter (Jan 25, 2012)

I'm sure yours are delicious. I like potatoes of most any kind, if they're prepared well. I don't find cream and butter heavy at all. ;-)


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## SpikeC (Jan 25, 2012)

A little chix stock and butter, what the heck else do you need? Sound just fine to me!


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## bikehunter (Jan 25, 2012)

clearly everyone has their individual tastes and preferences.


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## SpikeC (Jan 25, 2012)

Yes, except mine are correct and anyone who disagrees with me is wrong!


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## bikehunter (Jan 25, 2012)

Oh damn...I forgot about that. What was I thinking? I wonder if Pirsig would agree?


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## UCChemE05 (Jan 25, 2012)

I feel your pain. My brother is law is allergic to all dairy products (some more than others). Last time I had to make them with margarine. I used some garlic salt to season for salt and some minced garlic. Let it sit for 5-10 min, stirred it again and turned out pretty damn good for what it was.


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## SpikeC (Jan 25, 2012)

bikehunter said:


> Oh damn...I forgot about that. What was I thinking? I wonder if Pirsig would agree?



He was the one who told me!


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## bikehunter (Jan 25, 2012)

Ah....figures...I always thought of the Buddha when I eat mashed potatoes....well...and gravy...the other godhead of eating.


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## Kyle (Jan 25, 2012)

SpikeC said:


> A little chix stock and butter, what the heck else do you need? Sound just fine to me!



I've only ever made them with cream or milk, so I had no idea if chicken stock is a good alternative or just a reasonable dairy free compromise. Admittedly, I'm not even a big mashed potato fan, but every now and then I get in the mood for some good mashed taters. 

I gotta say I really like the sound of ThEoRy's crushed Yukon Gold method. It sounds like the perfect side dish for many of the simple, rustic dishes I like to make.


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## Kyle (Jan 25, 2012)

I also think it's interesting how lively a discussion about mashed potatoes can get!


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## bikehunter (Jan 25, 2012)

Kyle said:


> I also think it's interesting how lively a discussion about mashed potatoes can get!



So many people love them...If not...worship...in my case. ;-)


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## Salty dog (Jan 25, 2012)

Shoot him.


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## bikehunter (Jan 25, 2012)

Salty dog said:


> Shoot him.



A solution with less dire consequences would be to let the SOB cook his own meals. Works for me.


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## littleroundman (Jan 26, 2012)

Try breaking in 2 eggs and adding salt and pepper.


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## JohnnyChance (Jan 26, 2012)

Do you have a food mill? When I run my hot potatoes (skins on, I don't have time to peel them and the mill doesn't let them pass through anyway) through the food mill, I add chunks of room temperature butter as I go. It's almost like making beurre blanc or hollandaise, the butter melts and kinda emulsifies as the potatoes and butter chunks get milled, and you cant add a TON of butter this way. So much that you hardly need cream anyway. If I were to make some milk/cream free, I would do it this way, use mostly butter and then use some extra virgin olive oil and a splash of stock if they need to be thinned more. You won't miss the cream/milk.


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## Lucretia (Jan 26, 2012)

I see some smashed yukon golds in my future. Sounds great!


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## El Pescador (Jan 26, 2012)

olive oil salt pepper ton o garlic


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## TB_London (Jan 26, 2012)

would mayo work instead?


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## joec (Jan 26, 2012)

Here is one of my favorite and can be served as a potato salad or hot. I like them both ways. Amount of ingredients is also to your taste as measurements are really unimportant as it depends on how many potatoes. I do it by guess myself as most of my cooking is done.

Mustard Potato Salad 

Potatoes, boiled until tender and diced
Hardboiled eggs, chopped
Celery, chopped
Red onion, chopped
Salad olives w/pimientos, chopped
Prepared mustard (brown, spiced, yellow what ever you prefer)
Miracle Whip or Mayonnaise
Salt and pepper

This is the way my mother made potato salad, so I still do it the same way. I love the olives and red onions in it. There are no set amounts for ingredients. This is just a mix-and-taste type recipe. I like a lot of "stuff" in mine, and I like a lot of mustard. 

Mix the potatoes, eggs, celery, onion, and olives together. Add some mustard and Miracle Whip. Mix and taste. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add more mustard and Miracle Whip as needed.


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