Mashed Potatoes in Pressure Cooker

Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes for Two. If you’re doing a small Thanksgiving for Two, can I recommend adding these to the list? It makes two generous servings of mashed potatoes. Ok, maybe 4 normal servings.

This Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes Recipe makes the perfect amount for two!

To date, there are too many people in my life that have confided in me that while they own a pressure cooker or Instant pot, they’re too afraid to use it. They want to know how to get started, will it explode, and what’s the first thing I should make?

Normally I answer those questions by recommending my instant pot chicken stock or instant pot applesauce. Oh, and I also recommend reading the manual, joining the Instant Pot Official Facebook page, and watching a few YouTube videos on how to use it. No, it won’t explode–there are safety features in place that were lacking in previous pressure cookers of the past.

But now, after tasting these mashed potatoes, I say instant pot mashed potatoes for two is the best place to start with your Instant Pot.

Pressure Cooker Mashed Potatoes ingredients

• Potatoes. Two pounds of potatoes, preferably Russet potatoes, peeled.
• Garlic. It’s entirely optional to add one clove of garlic to the pot, but I really love the flavor so I do it!
• Milk. The best milk for mashed potatoes is whole milk, but you can use anything here, truly.
• Butter. Since we’re adding salt to this dish, I’m using unsalted butter.
• Cream Cheese. Just a small portion of a block of cream cheese instantly makes these the creamiest mashed potatoes ever.

Using the Instant Pot Mini for Two people:

As you know, or maybe you don’t, I share all small scale recipes for two people on this site. All of my desserts and dinners for two make two servings. Well, some make slightly more than two servings, but definitely less than an original full-size recipe, I promise. For this reason, I have the instant pot *MINI*. It’s the 3-quart model, and it’s perfect for cooking for two. This is the exact Instant Pot Mini that I use now.

I always recommend starting with something basic that only has a few ingredients if you’re new to the Instant Pot. Creamy instant pot mashed potatoes for two only has 5 ingredients, not including salt and pepper, and is so simple!

How to make Mashed Potatoes in Instant Pot

1. Peel and slice the potatoes into 1-inch slices.Place them in your instant pot. There’s no need to use the trivet, just place them directly into the instant pot.
2. Pour 2 cups of cold water over the potatoes in the instant pot.
3. Add the garlic clove (if using) and salt.
4. Place the lid on the instant pot, and turn the valve to ‘SEAL.’ Use the keyboard to set it to ‘PRESSURE COOK’ and toggle to 8 minutes. Let it come to pressure (it will beep) and then the countdown of 8 minutes begins. It will take about 10 minutes to come to pressure before it starts counting down.
5. When the timer goes off, carefully open the pressure valve–be careful not to burn yourself with the steam. (When you immediately release the pressure after the cook time is over, it’s called a ‘forced pressure release. This is essentially, otherwise your recipe will over-cook).

How long to cook Mashed Potatoes in Pressure Cooker

This recipe has an 8-minute cook time with a forced pressure release.

Tips for Mashed Potatoes in Pressure Cooker

There is something magical about potatoes in a pressure cooker. They become as light and fluffy as they can be with this method of cooking. I’m not sure what the science is behind it, but these are the lightest, creamiest, fluffiest and best mashed potatoes I’ve ever had! However, I have a few tips:

• Adding Garlic: I toss a garlic clove into the pot with the raw potatoes. We love the subtle flavor, but if you’re a mashed potato purist, leave it out. Garlic powder can also be good stirred in after cooking.
• Dairy Temps: You’ll want to heat the milk, butter and cream cheese slightly before adding it to the pot. To do this, chop the butter and cream cheese into small pieces, pile them in a 2-cup measuring cup and microwave it for just about 30 seconds. It shouldn’t boil or simmer, it should just take the fridge chill off of them.
• Mashing Tip: For the actual mashing of the potatoes, if you’re going to use a hand-held masher, it’s best if it’s silicone or plastic, not metal. I don’t want you to scratch your instant pot insert. The most recent time I made these instant pot mashed potatoes, I used my hand mixer, but I was careful to not let the beaters touch the sides or bottom of the bowl. The potato mixture is so soft and fluffy, it’s easy to do and only takes about 15 seconds! Plus, it ensures the garlic clove gets thoroughly incorporated.

Serving Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes

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How to store this Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes Recipe

You can store leftovers in an airtight food storage container for up to 4 days in the fridge.

Mashed Potatoes Instant Pot FAQs

I hope you love this recipe for mashed potatoes for two made in the Instant Pot. I love that the ‘warm’ function can be used on the Instant Pot, keeping these mashed potatoes warm for a long time without a need to preheat.