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3 WAYS WITH MASH
THE CINDERELLA OF SPUDS
Mashed potato is the unsung, humble heroine of spud cuisine, being simple to make, comforting to eat and a welcome side to almost any main. And let’s not forget its creamy, buttery texture! Delicious. It might be viewed as a fairly basic dish compared to, say, Dauphinoise potatoes – but that’s to ignore how fantastically flexible mash can be.
With just a handful of ingredients, you can transform your mash into a masterpiece, and make an everyday meal into a treat. While I’d contend that a classic buttery mash is gem in its own right, flirting with flavour can fun every now and then.

And what better time to experiment than British Pie Week (1-7 March)? Pie and mash go together like cheese and wine (which wouldn’t go amiss for afters, either), so we’re sharing three of our favourite modified mash recipes for you to try with your favourite pie.

MUSTARD MASH
This recipe comes courtesy of our founder Jo, for whom it’s a personal favourite. The combination of three types of mustard gives this mash a glorious colour (American), toothsome texture (Wholegrain) and wonderful bite (English). We’ve paired it with our Steak & Ale Pie, but it also takes sausage and onion gravy to a whole new level.
VEGETARIAN      |    GLUTEN FREE  
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Preparation: 10 min
  • Cooking: 15-20 min
  • Servings: 8
  • Cost: Low
INGREDIENTS
  • Potatoes: 1.5kg, cut into bite-sized chunks
  • Butter: 100g
  • Milk: 100ml
  • English mustard: 1 tsp
  • Wholegrain mustard: 2 tsp
  • American yellow mustard: 2 tsp
DIRECTIONS
Add the potato chunks to a large pan of salted water and boil for 15-20 minutes or until soft. (To check whether they are done, pierce a potato with a fork. If it slides off easily, they are tender enough to mash.) Drain the potatoes in a colander and return to the pan to steam-dry for a few moments. Add the butter, milk and mustard, season well, then mash thoroughly until creamy. Cover to keep warm until serving.
MASH WITH GREENS
Using rocket adds a fresh, peppery flavour to lift to creamy mash. It makes the perfect accompaniment for our Chicken, Ham & Leek Pie, and works well with goulashes or casseroles. For a milder flavour, substitute baby spinach for the rocket.
VEGETARIAN      |   GLUTEN FREE  
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Preparation: 10 min
  • Cooking: 20-25 min
  • Servings: 8
  • Cost: Low
INGREDIENTS
  • Floury potatoes: 650g, cut into bite-size chunks
  • Milk: 100ml
  • Butter: 25g
  • Rocket: 170g, roughly chopped
DIRECTIONS
Cook the potatoes in a large pan of salted water for 15-20 minutes or until tender. Drain well, then return to the pan to steam-dry for a few mins before mashing. Push the potatoes to one side of the pan and add the milk and butter to the other. Melt the butter into the milk over a gentle heat before combining with the potatoes. Add the rocket and mash to your preferred consistency. Season to taste, then serve.
SWEET POTATO MASH

The sweet, nutty flavours of sweet potato make for a wholesome and hearty mash that complements dishes with either sweet or spicy undertones, such as the Moroccan Style Chickpea pie from our EAT.PLNT vegan range, or our Chilli Con Carne  – as pictured here. (We also have a delicious veggie version.) Sweet potatoes are also higher in antioxidants like Vitamin A and Vitamin C than white potatoes!

VEGETARIAN      |   GLUTEN FREE  

  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Preparation: 15 min
  • Cooking: 150 min
  • Servings: 6
  • Cost: Low
INGREDIENTS
  • FSweet potatoes: 4 large (about 1kg)
  • Chipotle paste: 1 tbsp
  • Soured cream: 100 ml
  • Butter: 25g
  • Smocked paprika: ½ tsp
DIRECTIONS

Preheat your oven to 200˚C/180˚C fan/400˚F/Gas mark 6. Roast the sweet potatoes in the oven for 50 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a knife. Once roasted, peel back and discard the skins and mash the flesh in a bowl until smooth. Add the chipotle paste (harissa paste will also work), soured cream and butter and mix well. Season to taste.

TIPS FOR YOUR ‘TATERS
☑  Cut your potatoes into equal sized chunks so that they cook evenly. For quicker cooking, cut smaller chunks!
☑  Boil potatoes in salted water.
☑  Make sure your butter is at room temperature before adding to mash – and consider heating any milk used.
☑  For plant-based eating, use a non-dairy milk alternative and vegan butter. You can also buy or make vegan sour cream.
ALSO TRY …
☑  Cheesy mash (add 80g mature cheddar, 30g parmesan and 2tbsp of cream cheese to 1.5kg mashed potatoes).
☑  Garlic and herb mash (Boil 4 garlic cloves with 1.5kg potatoes, then mash with 4tbs of crème fraiche and a handful of chopped chives and parsley).
☑  For extra indulgence, serve mashed potatoes topped with a pat of butter and a sprinkle of herbs.
LOVE YOUR LEFTOVERS
Mashed potato freezes well, so if you have leftovers you can portion it up to defrost next time you want an easy meal for a stress-free evening. You could also try moulding leftover mash into flat circular discs and frying for a few minutes on each side until crispy on the outside. These potato cakes are always a treat served with a classic fried breakfast.
EASY AS PIE
Once you’ve chosen your mash and your pie, you’ll be ready for a proper celebration of British Pie Week. Personally, I’ll be trying the Chicken, Ham & Leek and mixing my mashes by trying the mustard medley.
While some die-hard pie fans insist on pastry, we’re also pretty fond of our potato-topped pies, so if you don’t fancy wielding the masher yourself, our sweet-potato topped Cottage Pie or classic Fish Pie might fit the bill.
For the final touches to your British Pie Week special, just add some tasty veg, like our Posh Peas, Honey Roast Parsnips or Cauliflower Cheese and you’ll be all set for a pie-fect evening.
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