The Pioneer Woman's Secret To The Creamiest Thanksgiving Mashed Potatoes

Thanksgiving is on the horizon, and home cooks around the country are starting to think about the big meal. Cooking a turkey may be the main source of Thanksgiving stress, but making sides can leave you spiraling, too. A common culprit? Humble mashed potatoes. On her website, The Pioneer Woman, food writer and TV personality Ree Drummond shared her secret to creamy mashed potatoes: Keep it simple and low tech.

Aside from a heavy helping of dairy, Drummond's creamy mashed potatoes don't employ any fancy tricks. In fact, she warns against using blenders or electric mixers to make the job easier. So how does she mash her potatoes? "The good ol' fashion way, baby! I like using a potato masher," Drummond says. "The thing about mashed potatoes is that you don't want to overmash them (yes, that is possible!)." There's a scientific reason why higher-tech kitchen gadgets are bad for mashed potatoes. "When you overwork potatoes, they release too much starch and start getting gummy," she explains.

Blenders or electric mixers are kitchen workhorses, but they're not meant for potatoes. Ree Drummond recommends sticking with the tool that's actually made for the job. "By using a potato masher and some elbow grease, you're less likely to overdo it than if you were to whip them with an electric mixer," she says. "Never, ever put the potatoes in a blender or food processor."

No one can fault an overworked home cook for trying to shave off a few minutes of meal prep. If you absolutely must break out the power tools, some experts suggest using the beater attachment on your mixer to mash potatoes. Use the lowest setting and stop after exactly one minute. Rinsing your potatoes well will help avoid a gluey texture, too.

Mixers may leave lumps, though — lumps that you can't remove without overmashing your potatoes. When you mash your potatoes by hand, you can spot those pesky lumps and deal with them before the potatoes start to get gummy. A ricer, a kitchen gadget that looks like an oversized garlic press, will help you get that ultra-fluffy mashed potato texture as well. It's a favorite among chefs, but not necessarily something you want cluttering up your kitchen drawer. So, keep it classic this Thanksgiving and reach for the potato masher. Sometimes the simplest tools are the best, and that's something to be thankful for.