What exactly are instant mashed potatoes? For starters, they are made from real potatoes (not Cream of Wheat, Play-Doh, or any other such non-potato substance). But they are potatoes that have been cooked, mashed, and dehydrated to produce a potato-in-a-box product. Now, the second question. Should you eat them? We tried nine different brands to find out. More

What to do with leftovers from an instant mashed potatoes taste test: feed them to Hambone. (Not all of them, just a few spoonfuls.) Watch Hambone lick away potatoes like never before in our playlist of dogs and cats eating mashed potatoes. Subscribe to the Serious Eats channel to get updated about our new videos. More

During Thanksgiving, that most divisive of holidays, mashed potatoes are perhaps the most divisive side dish of the lot. I like mine to be rich, perfectly smooth, and creamy with plenty of butter and heavy cream, loaded with black pepper, maybe some chives if I want to feel extra fancy. Somewhere between a dish on its own and a sauce, it should have the consistency of a pudding, slowly working it's way across a tilted plate. I like to pick up a piece of turkey and swirl it in my gravy-covered potatoes so that they coat it, their buttery richness working into the cracks in the meat. Sounds good, right? Who could possibly want it any other way? My sister. That's who. More

Creamy, rich mashed potatoes are a Thanksgiving essential. Some folks lard them up with sour cream or half-and-half, others toss in cheese, herbs, roasted garlic, or even wasabi. Here are a few recipes for Thanksgiving inspiration, but tell us: do you have a favorite mashed potato trick? More

Whether to use up leftovers or as a creation all on its own, shepherd's pie is an ultimate comfort food. But as I began experimenting with various ways to make the dish spicy compared to my tried and true recipe, I realized creativity can be utilized in each layer for a new spin on the classic, like with my Shepherd's Pie with Jalapeno-Pea Purée recipe. More

I was originally going to post just one video of a cat eating mashed potatoes. But you know that saying: "One video of a cat eating mashed potatoes is never enough." So, apropos of nothing (besides that it's Friday and that means I'm allowed to post videos of animals eating), here are five videos of cats and dogs eating mashed potatoes. More

Sure, you can mash your Thanksgiving potatoes with a fork or you can use this fancy gadget. The innovative design uses a spring and trap technique to effectively smash the spuds into smooth oblivion. More

Snoop Dogg was on Martha today, making cognac mashed potatoes. I prefer butter. Lots and lots of butter. And here's how Martha prefers them. Video, after the jump. [via Kathryn Yu]... More

Any commercial with creepily laughing Martians automatically gets an A+ in my book, especially when they're laughing at the way humans take potatoes and "smash them all to bits." How silly us humans must look. They may think we're primitive, but at least we have opposable thumbs; they just flail around with pincers. Watch this commercial for Cadbury's Smash mashed potatoes after the jump.... More

Only YTMND could make this work: a bizarre electro remix of the Fresh Prince's Uncle Phil musing about pillowy mounds of mashed potatoes. [via Josh McHugh]... More