5 Amish Mashed Potato Recipes

By Kevin Williams

Ah, really, I thought I had covered all the possible recipes out there for your Thanksgiving tables and then it occurred to me: mashed potatoes.  What Thanksgiving table doesn't have these? Soaked with butter and salt, a fluffy pile of this potato goodness makes the meal.  So, what ARE "Amish mashed potatoes" anyway?  Well, depends on which Amish person you ask.  But there seem to be a couple of factors.  For starters, most Amish will use homegrown potatoes from their gardens and that does add a level of freshness and earthiness that is tough to replicate with store-bought.  But there are other additions too:  some Amish cooks put cream cheese in their mashed potatoes saying that it helps firm them up.  Others put sour cream.  Gloria, our Amish cook columnist,  doesn't fix them without browned butter. She says that is the secret. So here are 5 recipes to consider before getting out your potato masher:

AMISH MASHED POTATOES:  Not sure where this recipe originates, the garlic and cloves make it distinctive.  She does incorporate cream cheese into it. Click here for the recipe.

THE AMISH COOK'S MASHED POTATOES AND WEDDING GRAVY:  Can't forget that browned butter...or the gravy, here is Gloria's recipe for Amish Mashed Potatoes and wedding gravy!

AMISH "POTATO FILLING":   Some Pennsylvania Dutch and even Amish will serve this in place of mashed potatoes, this is a really souped up version of mashed potatoes. Click here for the recipe.

AUTHENTIC AMISH MASHED POTATOES:  This recipe, out of all of these, seems to hew closest to what I think of as "Amish Mashed Potatoes"...click here for the recipe.

Weaver's Dutch Country posted this recipe for a very basic Indiana Amish mashed potato version using one of their spices called "Farm Dust."  Never heard of it, but seems interesting.

Amish Mashed Potatoes

Serving size: 4-6

6 medium sized Russet potatoes

2 oz. cream cheese

5-6 TBS butter

App. ½ - ¾ cup milk or heavy cream (depends on your desired consistency)

1 – 2 TBS Weavers Dutch Country Seasonings FARM DUST (more or less to taste)

Peel, cut, and boil potatoes until tender.  Drain water and add cream cheese, butter, milk and Farm Dust (add 1 TBS to start).  Mash with Kitchen Aid mixer or hand potato masher until well combined and your desired consistency.  Add more Farm Dust if needed.