The Frugal Farm Living life deliberately

I'm sure that almost every Mormon household has had a can of these in their pantry at one point. I'm all for convenience, but this Idaho girl doesn't really love the mashed potatoes made from potato pearls. I figured out that with a few additions, I can make instant mashed potatoes that even I like, and are a big hit with the under-12 set as well. I stir in yummy stuff like grated cheese, minced onion, sauteed garlic, or bacon pieces and the processed-food taste that I dislike disappears! I'll always pick real mashed potatoes over these, but these are great when you need a side dish in a hurry!

I have made a few versions and I think my favorite is the "Loaded Baked Potato" version. I don't measure anything, so feel free to adjust amounts as you like.

Loaded Baked Potato Mashed Potatoes:
Into a bowl of prepared instant mashed potatoes stir in:
real bacon pieces
a scoop or two of sour cream
grated cheddar cheese
finely minced onion or snipped chives

Sour Cream and Cheddar Mashed Potatoes:
Into a bowl of prepared instant mashed potatoes stir in:
a scoop or two of sour cream
grated cheddar

Garlic Mashed Potatoes
In a small saucepan melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium low heat. Add minced garlic (a teaspoon or so) and cook gently until fragrant, avoiding burning the garlic. Stir into prepared instant mashed potatoes.

I'm sure with a little creativity you can come up with even more!