Embrace the holiday spirit and gather your family around the table for a Thanksgiving side dish that’s sure to become a new tradition. Today, we’re paying homage to the time-honored Knotts Berry Farm’s Cookbook by bringing their famous Creamy Mashed Potato Recipe to our festive feast. While Knotts Berry Farm is a place of thrill and excitement, their mashed potatoes are a classic comfort—rich, flavorful, and perfect for soaking up your favorite gravy.
Let’s prepare a batch that’s large enough for all your guests to enjoy, with just the right touch of Thanksgiving warmth.
Ingredients for Knott’s Berry Farm Famous Mashed Potatoes
We’ve expanded this recipe, because the original in Knotts Berry Farm’s Cookbook was merely a starter portion, meant for about 2 people. We’ve also translated the potato count (Knotts recipe suggests 4 potatoes) into pounds for a more dependable and consistent outcome.
- 3 lbs of Yukon Gold Potatoes
- 1 cup of Whole Milk
- 1 Stick of Salted Butter
- 2 tsp Salt, divided (1/2 in boiling water, 1/2 in the finished potatoes)
- Freshly Ground pepper to taste (optional)
Essential Equipment for Famous Mashed Potatoes
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1. Potato Masher or Potato Ricer
The most important piece of equipment in our ride is a sturdy potato masher. The KitchenAid Gourmet Stainless Steel Wire Masher on Amazon comes highly recommended. It’s praised for its robust construction, comfortable grip, and excellent mashing capabilities, making it our tool of choice. Alternatively, for ULTRA fluffy potatoes, you can use a potato ricer.
2. Instant Pot / Pressure Cooker
While Knotts Berry Farm calls for Boiling their potatoes, this can be a rather hands on method. To achieve the same results without having to babysit your stove a pressure cooker is your best friend. The Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker is a fan favorite on Amazon. Its multiple functions, user-friendly interface, and reliable performance make it an invaluable addition to any kitchen.
3. Colander / Strainer
To make draining the steaming hot potatoes from the pressure cooker easier, you can either use a snap on pot strainer like the Kitchen Gizmo Snap N Strain Pot Strainer and Pasta Strainer or you can use a standard colander like the HiramWare Stainless Steel Colander.
Instructions – Mashing up a New Tradition!
1. Peel & Cut:
Peel and cut your potatoes into even pieces. This ensures they all cook at the same pace. Knotts Berry’s Recipe only has you peel the potatoes, however, dicing or quartering your potatoes will make mashing them much easier later.
2. Cook
Cook the potatoes. Knotts Berry Farm’s Cookbook calls for boiling the potatoes. If you go this route the potatoes will take about 30-40 minutes to be fork tender. However, if you want to speed the process up, cook the potatoes in a pressure cooker, on high pressure, for 15 minutes. No matter which method you choose, make sure you add 1 tsp of salt to the water.
3. Drain
Drain the potatoes thoroughly. Then return them to the stove (or pressure cooker with browning abilities), for one minute. By removing the excess water, we can add more butter and milk, making the potatoes extra creamy, without making them watery!
4. Mash
Mash the potatoes with the stick of unsalted butter. Continue to mash until the butter has completely melted and is incorporated into the potatoes
5. Mix
Mix in the milk, remaining salt, and pepper to your taste. Keep mashing until your potatoes reach that heavenly creamy stage that would make any cowboy sigh with satisfaction.
6. Serve
Serve these luxurious mashed potatoes at your Thanksgiving table, and watch as they become the perfect partner for your savory gravy. It’s a side dish that pays tribute to Knotts Berry Farm’s legacy, while perfectly complementing your holiday spread.
There you have it—a Knotts Berry Farm classic transformed into a Thanksgiving masterpiece. Enjoy the company, the gratitude, and the deliciousness of your new holiday favorite.
While these mashed potatoes are fantastic when paired with your favorite gravy, by themselves they are a little lack-luster. Are you looking for a mashed potato recipe that will steal the show? Check out the Roller Coaster Original Best Garlic Mashed Potatoes.
