How Duke's Mayonnaise Could Take Your Mashed Potatoes To The Next Level

Mashed potatoes are an iconic side dish. Nothing else is quite like a mound of fluffy, creamy white clouds – or orange if mashed sweet potatoes are your side dish of choice. You can always make mashed potatoes with any instant mix, but the dried potato flakes will never create a product that compares to a mountain of homemade mashed potatoes. This is the kind of side that can bring any meal together and is quite simple to boot.

While a traditional recipe for mashed potatoes will use butter, milk, or even heavy cream to achieve the perfectly thick and creamy consistency, there's another contender that can elevate the dish: Duke's Mayonnaise. This Southern staple has been around for about 100 years (via the Duke's website). That means as much as a century's worth of mashed potatoes could have been upgraded. But just imagine how many of them weren't because they didn't realize the creamy condiment's potential.

Some might be wondering, "Why Duke's?" After all, it isn't the only popular brand of mayo, and it hasn't cornered the market for mashed potato recipes. Fans of Hellmann's Mayonnaise, for example, might know the brand has its own recipe for "super-moist" mashed potatoes. While there's no need for people to limit themselves to a single brand, Duke's Mayonnaise does have some qualities that might affect the meal differently. 

For one, Duke's mayo is made without sugar. According to Southern Living, it also has more egg yolks added to the base recipe than the average commercial mayo which gives it a noticeably creamier, thicker consistency. Meanwhile, the addition of vinegar and paprika gives it its signature flavor. The Duke's website has an official mashed potato recipe that eschews the usual addition of milk or cream in favor of the mayonnaise to replicate that creamy consistency. But you don't just have to stick with the recipe from the mothership. 

The blogger behind Spicy Southern Kitchen describes Duke's mashed potatoes as a beloved Thanksgiving staple in their home and recommends adding milk if the mashed potatoes seem too thick. A commenter on the blog planned to top their mayo mashed potatoes with bacon and blue cheese. While Duke's is the preferred brand of Southern Bite (which uses milk in its recipe), the site says any mayonnaise without a ton of added sugar will help produce creamy, fluffy mashed potatoes.