FAKE mashed potatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe

Instant potatoes always had a grainy texture to them. I keep a box around however to add to my real mashed potatoes when I put a little too much milk or chicken stock in them and they need thickening a bit quickly.
But in a restaurant, as a side dish? Not for me.

i have Hungry Jack flakes for that very reason. Also, if my 11 yr old, (she's my little cook) wants to make something she can make that.

Funny story...... I was grocery shopping one day and called home and said i was bringing home some rotisserie chickens. I asked her to make some instant mashed potatoes and boil some broccoli. the box calls for 2 TEASPOONS of salt or something, well she forgot what the TSP meant and added two CUPS of salt........ whew..lol They were a bit inedible. she'll get there..... she'll get there.....

I take my own potatoes for Thanksgiving at my in-laws. They all love the instant kind and won't eat real ones. When I want mashed potatoes at home, my husband prefers that I just give him a couple little boiled potatoes before I mash them. SICK!

I am reminded of an event several years ago. My wife was watching her nephews ( 13 - 11) for two weeks. I have always done the cooking and, my son (12) says to her "Is dad coming?" she says "No" and he replies " How are we going to eat?" Maybe "Dad could give you some recepies."

She is a good cook, if not mostly a Southern cook Boil long, salt hard and fry fry fry, but is a scratch cook. She was making mashed potatos and was cleaning them. My nephews say " What are you doing?"
My wife repies " making mashed potatos" answering my nephew says "Those are not potatoes" "Potatoes come in a box" running to the cupboard and retreiving a box of flakes. My son ,who has never seen instant(though I keep some to thicken soups and stews if needed) says "Potatoes grow in the ground not in boxes" and the three of them argue for a half an hour. After tasting they say they cannot eat real mashed potatos because "They taste funny" My wife makes instant for them, my son says " this tastes like modling clay."

depends on your frame of reference

My nephews say " What are you doing?"
My wife repies " making mashed potatos" answering my nephew says "Those are not potatoes" "Potatoes come in a box" running to the cupboard and retreiving a box of flakes. My son ,who has never seen instant(though I keep some to thicken soups and stews if needed) says "Potatoes grow in the ground not in boxes" and the three of them argue for a half an hour. After tasting they say they cannot eat real mashed potatos because "They taste funny" My wife makes instant for them, my son says " this tastes like modling clay."

depends on your frame of reference

wow.... it saddens me that they would think potatoes come in a box. We are in no way perfect but, i try to make things from scratch for that very reason. It reminded me of something i saw the other day at Kroger. A man and woman with two young children, both under 3. They were taking processed foods by the CASES. I was so surprised, i mean i saw the mom putting in cases of spaghetti and meatballs, and same with the mac and cheese.

I use canned and pre-made things as well, but that is a little overboard. Not in the best interest of the children, for many reasons.

Sometimes at church potlucks my daughters will say the mac and cheese tastes "funny", or other dishes. They have gotten to the point where they now know why.

A year or so ago a Cheftestant on Top Chef won a challenge making gnocchi with instant mashed potatoes.

My husband and I took a cooking class in Florence (Italy not Ky ) a few years ago and along with all the delicious homemade food, the instructor showed us how to make gnocchi with instant potatoes. Fast forward a few years we both write for the same food site now and when I wrote about my faux gnocchi (basically tiny potato pancakes) last week she followed it up with a piece on her instant potato gnocchi. While I grant that most anything else she makes is superior to my cooking, my gnocchi are better!

And side note, the best thing about mashed potatoes is potato cakes the next day!

wow.... it saddens me that they would think potatoes come in a box.

I think it's a funny story.

Dana, your comment about the potato cakes the next day was right on. However, I grew up calling them potato patties. Anyone else in on that terminology?

Gayle or Dana,how do you guys make your potato cakes/patties?

This is so funny.

I never made "real" mashed potatoes until my German born/Italian married mother in law taught me how. My own mother isn't much on cooking and I had always assumed making the real thing must just be too labor intensive to bother... After one family dinner, my MIL told me what to do... We haven't had instant potatoes in our house for over 20 years.

Gayle or Dana,how do you guys make your potato cakes/patties?

Start with buttery mashed potatoes, and mix in flour and an egg until they're a very thick pancake consistency. Form into 'patties' and pan-fry in butter or olive oil until golden brown. It takes several minutes per side unless you're making the small 'faux gnocchi' like these:

http://bit.ly/oR7Er

Nothing beats REAL mashed potatoes, southern style...

...but in a pinch, I LOVE me some Yoder's, and I make no apologies for it!

I like the Idahoan brand. They don't even taste like boxed potatoes....but you're right, NOTHING beats the real thing!

Nothing beats REAL mashed potatoes, southern style...

...but in a pinch, I LOVE me some Yoder's, and I make no apologies for it!

what would "southern style" be?

John, Dana was "right on" with the recipe.

Hi all! Went to the Whistle Stop a few weekends ago for my birthday and ordered the veggie plate. Everything was tasty except the mashed potatoes were terrible! I couldn't eat them, even smothered in butter (the potatoes). I asked the server if they were real and she admitted that they were instant. Instant potatoes served in a restaurant known for home cooking?!?!?! For shame!

Other than that, everything was delicious. Instant potatoes, really?

Just thought I'd warn you. Go for the baked potato I guess.

A lot of you would be amazed at the amount of restaurants using instant mashed potatoes and you wouldn't even know the difference.....science is amazing.