Who Doesn't Like Mashed Potatoes?

There is a new (to me, anyway) product at our local Costco.
For $7.99 you get a box as shown in my photo called All Natural Creamy Mash made with 100% Real Potatoes. While some instant potato products have a long list of additives (for example, Potato Pearls has trans fats and other unhealthful ingredients.) The only ingredients listed on the side of this box here are potatoes, and butter.

The box has 14 8 oz. pouches. Each pouch has 8 2/3cups servings of mashed potatoes when prepared.

Stove top directions:

1. Boil 2 2/3 cups of water, 1 teasp. salt (I used 1/2 teaspoon) and 4 Tablespoons butter (I used 1 Tablespoon butter)

2. Remove from heat and add 1 cup cold molk. (I opened a can of evaporated 2% milk, measure out 1/2 cup and added it to 1/2 cup water..voila..i cup of milk!)

3. Stir liquid while adding one pouch ofpotatoes. Wet all potatoes.

4. Let stand 10 seconds. (I put a lid on.)

5. Stir and serve. (I added Mrs. Dash and black pepper and a bit more milk to get it ot the consistency I like.)


Then I opened a can of Beef Franco American Gravy(which I paid 55 cents for at WinCo today.) I put the contents of the can into a saucepan on my stove top and it was quite thick so I added 1/2 cup or so of water.

My picture shows one serving. I prepared enough for 8 servings. I figured this one serving (2/3 cup mashed potatoes and 1/4 cup gravy) , factoring in also the price of the milk and the butter I used,was 10.4 cents !

It was delicious, and my husband thought so, too.

The date on the box says: Best before by 12/23/09.
This is definitely a keeper.

I highly recommend this for your food storage.

Note: You may be wondering about how are we going to have butter? If the stores are empty and you do not have a cow, how will you have butter? Well, I met a lady on the plane to Salt LakeCity this month who bottles butter.
She preserves butter in 1 pint jars. Basically, she said she heats up the jars and lids in the oven to sterilize them. Then she pours melted butter into them and puts the lid and rings on. As they cool, they seal...like when you bottle jam.

I have her phone number and I am going to call her to get the details. I will then try it and share the results with you. Being born and raised in the dairy state (Wisconsin), I consider butter a culinary necessity!