I briefly marinated the meat in soy sauce, red pepper flakes, pepper, olive oil, and garlic powder after practically shaving it on the diagonal across the grain.
The meat was a gift so do didn’t contribute to the cost but if you know the price of 3 ounces of whole tissue steak or chicken you could add that in. If I had any provolone I would have put it between the toppings and the potatoes.
Cost per person, $1.24
Is instant mash cheaper or more expensive then homemade?
They were on sale and even then they are more expensive if a five pound bag costs less than about $3.50. They are extremely convenient. They aren’t as good but they are good enough. Also when I make mashed potatoes I tend to make too much. Not too much to have leftovers but too much to not feel guilty about eating in one go. So this helps with portion control.
Makes sense!
Pound for pound? Probably more expensive. But it has a much longer shelf life and they can be made much faster
That shelf life is very nice. They take about a sixth the time as scratch made.
But, yeah, they cost way more, even on sale. But even way more is less than a dollar per person.
Yeah. I always do scratch made but peeling does take a hot minute. Other than that it’s all passive time cooking then I strain and throw the cooked potatoes in the stand mixer and it mashes them for me. Throw in some butter, salt/pepper, maybe a bit of heavy cream or half/half. Also I throw in some garlic cloves in with the potatoes before cooking, once cooked they mash up just fine. Sometimes a few egg yolks at the end too if I’m feeling fancy.
I am a “leave the peels on” person. By the time the hand mixer gets done with them they are barely noticeable.
I don’t have room for my stand mixer to live in the kitchen and I’m not carrying that beast 20 feet so I’m all about the hand mixer.
I literally never understood the TV trope about lumpy mashed potatoes. I assumed everyone’s were as creamy and smooth as mine. Then I had a friend’s mashed potatoes. Lumps. So many lumps. Like they mashed with a fork. Suddenly it all became clear.
Honestly a bit of lumps is a good thing sometimes. But yeah with the mixer usually don’t get any.