Working backwards from the idea that most kids love mashed potatoes, it would make sense that adding in some soft sautéed vegetables would be a hit, right? Right! Turns out that you can add a whole variety of vegetables to some yummy buttery mashed potatoes and the kids eat it, and then ask for seconds. This mashed potatoes and leeks recipe is simple, takes no more time than a regular bowl of mash and gives the kids an extra serving of nutrition from the leeks. Yum.
Grab the FREE 7 Day Clean Eating Challenge Pack & Take The Kids Diet From Zero To HERO!
Mashed Potatoes And Leeks
My kids would eat leeks at a push, but none of them were very happy about it. I chopped them thin, fat, any which way, fried them in butter, all the usual things you can do to a leek that make them delicious, but the response was always the same, lukewarm at best. I thought leeks in a soup were going to be as good as it got, and then I discovered this.
Seriously, buttery mashed potato is right up there for us as one of the best ways to eat potatoes, but adding some soft, pan fried leeks transforms this into something else. It's such a simple dish, literally mashed potato and leeks, yet these two veggies go together so well. I guess it's the mash version of leek and potato soup :)
The Best Potatoes For Mash
Mashed potato has to be lump fee. Nothing ruins a bowl of mash more than finding an unwanted, or undercooked lump of potato in your mash. And so for this reason, you want to use potatoes that are floury. They break down when they're boiled and give the smoothest mash. They're so a bit creamier than the non floury variety, so make sure you find floury ones.
King Edward or Maris Piper are the potatoes of choice in this house for mash. I tend to cut them smaller than I do for roasting, mainly because I want to make sure they're really well cooked before mashing, and so cutting them smaller ensures they cook in a reasonable time.
If I cut takes about potato cubes to about ¾ inch, they generally cook in about 15 minutes if put into a pan of already boiling water.
Lump Free Mash
Getting your mash lump free starts with making sure the potatoes are fully cooked. Even slightly over cooked and starting to disintegrate is fine by me. I tip them into a colander to drain them and so it catches any really small crumbly bits anyway. Over cooked is always preferable to undercooked when you're talking mashed potatoes!
You can use a potato ricer like this one if you like, they do help get the potato lump free but really, if your potatoes cooked properly, there's no need to get one especially, and a regular old fashioned potato masher does just fine.
Adding Vegetables To Mashed Potatoes
While Leeks go well with mashed potato, there's a whole load of other vegetables you can add to mash that are also delicious if you're struggling to get the kids to eat them. I like to keep any veg added to mash to ones with a milder flavor. The point is that the mash flavor comes thorough, not that it's overpowered by another flavor.
What other vegetables could you add to mashed potato?
- Onions - pan fried until they're soft and tender and starting to caramelise. Mix them gently through the mash to give it a sweet flavor
- Cabbage - much like a bubble and squeak recipe, adding some pan fried cabbage to mash is a good way to get kids to try it
- Julienned carrots - thin carrot strips running through mash looks fun and inviting for young kids
More Potato Recipes
How To Make Mashed Potatoes And Leeks
Ingredients
- 12-15 Medium Potatoes Maris Piper, King Edward, Peeled, Chopped into ¾ inch chunks
- 4 Leeks Washed and sliced
- 4 tbsp Butter
- Salt and pepper To season
Instructions
- Put a large pan of water on the cooker top and bring to the boil
- Add the potatoes and boil until very soft, drain and put them back into the pan
- While the potatoes are cooking, add ½ tablespoon butter and pan fry the sliced leeks, moving them around the pan to stop them burning. If they start to catch, add a tablespoon of two of water and allow the water to simmer until it's gone. Fry the leeks until they're soft. Take off the heat and out to one side
- Add the rest of the butter to the potatoes and season well. Mash the potatoes until super smooth and creamy
- Gently fold the leeks into the potato
- Serve
Mashed Potatoes And Leeks Recipe
Mashed Potatoes And Leeks
Ingredients
- 12-15 Medium Potatoes Maris Piper, King Edward, Peeled, Chopped into ¾ inch chunks
- 4 Leeks Washed and sliced
- 4 tablespoon Butter
- Salt and pepper To season
Instructions
- Put a large pan of water on the cooker top and bring to the boil
- Add the potatoes and boil until very soft, drain and put them back into the pan
- While the potatoes are cooking, add ½ tablespoon butter and pan fry the sliced leeks, moving them around the pan to stop them burning. If they start to catch, add a tablespoon of two of water and allow the water to simmer until it's gone. Fry the leeks until they're soft. Take off the heat and out to one side
- Add the rest of the butter to the potatoes and season well. Mash the potatoes until super smooth and creamy
- Gently fold the leeks into the potato
- Serve
