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How To Make Potatoes

Learn different ways to cook potatoes

Classic Potato Recipes

Preparing Potatoes for Cooking

How to Cook Potatoes

There are a number of different ways to cook potatoes.
Here are a 4 important notes to keep in mind when preparing potatoes for cooking.

1. Potatoes for recipes like fries, mashed, roasted, etc. can be cut and soaked in water up to two days before. Rinsing the potatoes before cooking helps remove excess starch which can improve the texture and mouthfeel of many potato dishes.

2. Sometimes potatoes that are cut and uncooked take on a pinkish or brownish discoloration. It’s due to the carbohydrate in the food reacting with oxygen in the air. Potatoes that become discolored are safe to eat and do not need to be thrown out. The color usually disappears with cooking.

3. Preserve the color of cut potatoes by storing them in cold water and add lemon juice or a little vinegar. Limit water soaking to two hours to retain water-soluble vitamins.

4. If there is slight greening, cut away the green portions of the potato skin before cooking and eating.

COOK POTATOES FASTER

You can steam potatoes to speed up cook time.

Place potatoes into a pot with a steamer insert and enough water to reach the bottom of the potatoes. Place a lid on top and turn the heat to medium-high. The steam gets hotter than boiling in water, allowing the potatoes to cook faster. After about 15-20 minutes the potatoes should be fork-tender and ready for mashed potatoes.

How-To Videos for 6 Classic Potato Recipes

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How-To: Baked Potato

How to Make the Perfect Baked Potato – Crispy on the Outside, Light, and Fluffy on the Inside.

Have you ever wanted to know how to get that perfect steakhouse baked potato?  A crispy exterior, a light, and fluffy interior. The kind of potato that steams the moment you pierce a fork into the crackling skin. Speckled with grains of salt and kissed with just a touch of sweet butter, this luscious preparation of America’s favorite vegetable will be a crowd pleaser time and time again.  Whether it’s a simple Tuesday night or you have some steaks hot off the grill, this recipe will be all you need to enjoy the perfect baked potato.

To learn more, explore our comprehensive guide on baked potatoes which includes the best-baked potato recipes, how to select the right potatoes, storing potatoes, and other ways to prepare baked potatoes.

Baked Potato Recipe
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How-To: Mashed Potatoes

How to Make the Ultimate Light and Fluffy Mashed Potatoes. 

Whip up perfection, with these light and airy mashed potatoes, perfect for any occasion. Mashed potatoes are deceivingly simple, and a mainstay on any holiday table or a side to simple Sunday suppers.  But how do you achieve mashed potato nirvana?  With these easy to follow steps, your friends and family will be wondering what you did to make these incredible mashed potatoes.  But be warned you will from here on out be asked to make mashed potatoes for every potluck.

Mashed Potato Recipe
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How-To: Roasted Potatoes

How to Make Craveable and Crunchy Roasted Potatoes

Looking for an easy way to crispy up spuds for a perfect side dish? Perhaps you want to load the tops of these with incredible toppings for a full meal. Nailing the crispy exterior is the best thing about roasting potatoes, and we are going to show you how to do just that. These are crispy on the outside, bursting with flavor on the inside and they provide that wonderful contrast between crunchy and creamy.

To learn more, explore our comprehensive guide on roasted potatoes which includes the best-roasted potato recipes, how to select the right potatoes, to peel or not to peel, and other ways to prepare roasted potatoes.

Roasted Potato Recipe
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How-To: Potato Salad

Make the Perfect Classic Potato Salad

From Germany to Korea, from Japan to the U.S. potato salads make for a great accompaniment to many family gatherings. Different potatoes have different properties. Similar to pairing pasta to the type of sauce, you will want to pair the right type of potato with the type of dressing.  Dressings for potato salads can vary greatly, however they are usually divided between creamy dressings (mayo-based) and oil/vinegar-based dressings.  Mostly potato salads are served cold, but some are served warm such as German-style potato salad.

Potato Salad Recipe
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How-To: Au Gratin Potatoes

How to Make Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes

Potatoes Au Gratin is a French classic recipe, perfect served in colder weather as a side dish. It has a delicious, fondant base made with thinly sliced potatoes, covered in cream, which creates the most delectable crusty and golden topping once baked!

Au Gratin Recipe
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How-To: Scalloped Potatoes

How to Make Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes

Bring elegance to your table with these irresistible scalloped potatoes, layered with a creamy besciamella sauce, topped with Parmesan cheese, and baked until bubbly and perfectly soft.

Scalloped Recipe