Ruined Mashed Potatoes? Here's How To Fix It

There's really nothing like a big bowl of mashed potatoes, right? Fluffy, creamy, smooth, and perfect alongside everything from pot roast to fried chicken or country gravy — there are plenty of ways you can pair a bowl of these buttery spuds with any dinner. You can even make flitch, a potato candy that combines mashed potatoes, peanut butter, and powdered sugar (per A Coalcracker in the Kitchen).

But for all the fond memories we have of mashed potatoes, at times we run into mashed potatoes that were best left unmashed. The soupy, liquid-like mashed potatoes with chunks of raw potato, or the gluey, oily clumps of white mash that stick to the bowl-like paste. These are only a few of the things you think of when someone mentions bad mashed potatoes. Sometimes, no matter how many times you may have done it, you mess up your bowl of mashed potatoes. Don't feel too bad — there are plenty of ways one can mess up their mashed potatoes.

If you've ever found yourself stuck with a mashed potato recipe gone wrong, there are a few simple solutions to ensure you get the best out of your spuds.

Some of the worst bowls of mashed potatoes may seem unsalvageable but The Kitchn's tips will not only help to remedy these potatoes but will identify what caused the hiccup in the first place.

If you have runny mashed potatoes, your potato chunks may not have drained properly or you let them to overcook. The simple solution is to pour the potatoes back into the pot and stir them constantly over low heat until the potatoes begin to thicken. If need be, cornstarch or instant mashed potatoes can be added to rethicken soupy potatoes.

For lumpy mashed potatoes, the cause could be that you added your potatoes to boiling water instead of letting both potatoes and water come to boil together, causing uneven cooking. You can remedy these lumpy potatoes by putting them over low heat and adding milk, cream, or even broth between mashing and stirring them.

If you have overly gluey potatoes, you may have mashed your potatoes too roughly, causing the starches in the potatoes to become overworked. While Kitchn admits you can't really "fix" gluey mashed potatoes, you can instead create a "gratin" by adding shredded cheese and panko breadcrumbs to the potatoes, and then baking until it's golden-brown.

And in case you have too many mashed potatoes to spare, there are plenty of things you can make to keep the magic of mashed potatoes going a little further.