Mashed potatoes are already a delivery system for a frankly alarming amount of butter and cream. Most people look at that pot and think, Yep, that’s plenty. A select few look at it and think, What if we added mayonnaise? I used to think those people needed supervision. Then it dawned on me: Nobody thinks twice before dumping a cup of mayo into potato salad. Same spuds, same condiment, just served warm. Turns out the mayo-in-mashed crowd has been onto something all along.
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A Mom’s Not-So-Secret Weapon
I reached out to Stacey Little, founder of Southern Bite and author of the upcoming cookbook Supper Made Simple, and he shared that mayonnaise is his mother’s not-so-secret stir-in for the silkiest, ridiculously rich mashed potatoes. “It’s one of those ingredients that can sound a little odd until you try it, but once you do, it makes perfect sense,” he says.
“Mashed potatoes were one of the first things I helped my mom make as a kid, and I just assumed everybody made them the way she did,” he says. He never gave it a second thought until he got caught in the act. “I remember making mashed potatoes years later and having my wife, Heather, look at me like I’d completely lost my mind when she saw me add a big spoonful of mayo. She’d been eating Mom’s mashed potatoes and mine for years and had no idea it was in there.”
That’s the whole point: The potatoes don’t taste like mayonnaise. Instead, mayo adds a velvety texture, extra creaminess (in case the butter and milk weren’t pulling their weight), and a subtle tang that keeps all that richness in check.
Tips for Adding Mayo To Mashed Potatoes
Little’s mom has always used russet potatoes. “They’re inexpensive, easy to find, and their high starch content makes really fluffy mashed potatoes.” That lightness counts when you’re stirring in something as rich as mayo.
Yellow potatoes like Yukon Golds are also a great option. They “have a naturally buttery flavor and a creamier texture than russets, so they make mashed potatoes that taste richer before you even start adding butter and cream,” Little says. With mayo in the mix, it’s hard to go wrong. The question is whether you want to double down on creamy richness or keep things light and airy.
As for the best mayo to use, Little is a Duke’s loyalist, which will surprise no one from the South. It’s made with egg yolks rather than whole eggs, contains apple cider vinegar, and has no added sugar, giving it what devotees call twang. But mayo allegiances are untouchable, and I’m not here to convert anyone. Hellmann’s is a solid choice, though I’m a diehard Kewpie fan. Use whichever jar you’d defend in the family group chat. Just skip Miracle Whip, which is unequivocally not mayo.
Mayo Makes Make-Ahead Magic Possible
Holiday hosting means prepping everything you possibly can ahead of time, but make-ahead mashed potatoes are a gamble. The butter stiffens in the fridge, the spuds dry out, and you can end up serving something closer to spackle. Not with mayo. Its oil-and-egg emulsion helps retain moisture and keeps the potatoes softer after refrigeration.
“I often make a big batch of mashed potatoes and repurpose them throughout the week, and I do find that the mayo helps them stay softer and creamier after refrigeration,” Little says. Reheat them gently over low heat, adding a splash of milk or cream as needed.
Read the original article on Simply Recipes