+15 votes
Realized I am totally out of milk for my mashed potatos tonight!!What simple staple can I use without buying weird chemical creamers??
in Recipes and Cooking by

5 Answers

+1 vote
Best answer
Do not worry, this happens all the time in the kitchen, and you likely already have a few common staples on hand that will give you fantastic results without needing any artificial creamers.

One of the simplest and most traditional solutions is to use extra melted butter combined with a little bit of the hot, starchy potato boiling water or warm chicken or vegetable broth. The starchy water helps emulsify the butter directly into the potatoes, creating a smooth and fluffy texture while letting the natural potato flavor shine.

If you have other dairy products in your refrigerator, sour cream or plain Greek yogurt are wonderful choices. Adding a few tablespoons alongside your butter will yield an exceptionally creamy texture with a pleasant, subtle richness.

Other great kitchen staples include cream cheese, evaporated milk, or even a small spoonful of standard mayonnaise in a pinch. Whatever you choose, I recommend warming your substitute slightly and adding it a little at a time while mashing so you can easily control the final consistency, followed by adjusting your salt and seasonings to taste.
by ekaterina-morgunova (1.3k points)
selected by chef
+10 votes
A cup of warmed vegetable broth combined with melted butter works reliably as a direct replacement. It provides good moisture and texture without changing the flavor.
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+9 votes
Melt four tablespoons of butter in a small pot and mix it with half a cup of warm chicken stock or potato water. Pour the liquid slowly into you're cooked potatoes while mashing until their at the right texture. It works fast on a weeknight and gives the dish its rich consistency without needing dairy milk. Keep adding small splashes until you reach the consistency you want then add your salt and black pepper.
by
+7 votes
my dad used to just pour cold tap water straight in with butter when your trying to save money on groceries it works fine but it cools the dish down fast
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–3 votes
I have the exact same doubt in my kitchen right now because I also ran out of fresh liquid milk for making the dinner. I prefer to prepare lighter plates every evening without using heavy ingredients so I am just following this question here to check the advice. My family ran into this identical problem yesterday as well. Let us see what simple alternative the people recommend for this case.
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