My children love mashed potatoes more than any other food. They request it nearly every day. I prefer to offer them vegetables and greens, but they are very stubborn about what they eat. If I want them to eat well, I need to prepare mashed potatoes a few times each week. Not only my children, but also my husband and I really enjoy eating mashed potatoes! We frequently think of ways to make it tastier. While browsing Instag
ram and TikTok a lot, I found a helpful tip from a TikTok user named Jourdyn, who is known as @jeauxp. I wondered, “What else can you add to mashed potatoes?” But it seems like there is much more.

 

According to Jourdyn, the special ingredient is chicken stock or broth, it doesn’t make a difference. I never would have come up with that idea by myself. Normally, I would make my recipe in a simple way: cook the potatoes in water with salt, then mash them with butter and milk, and that’s all. But Jourdyn showed me many new and different tastes.

 

 

 

She begins by not removing the potato skins. Yes, you understood correctly—she leaves the skins on! She thinks that the peels not only give texture but also provide nutrients. After washing them well, she applies avocado oil to the outside of her potato skins, cuts them in half, and puts them in a pot. Next, she adds a new element: instead of only using water, she combines chicken broth with water, adds a little salt, and allows the mixture to boil.

 

Why does it taste delicious? I had doubts, but my curiosity won in the end. One night, I decided to try Jourdyn’s technique. I did what she did: put avocado oil on the skins, used chicken broth instead of stock, and waited nervously to see what would happen.

After cooking the potatoes in hot water, I poured out the water but kept some aside to use when mashing them. Next, I crushed the potatoes, including the skin, with some butter, a little of the saved broth, and a lot of black pepper. What happened? The tastes were amazing! The broth gave a special savory taste that water couldn’t provide, and the potato skins added a nice, rough texture.

 

My children, who usually prefer smooth textures, were interested in the slightly lumpy texture. And my husband, who really loves traditional mashed potatoes, asked me, “What did you change this time?” “These are fantastic!” Simply put, the new recipe was very successful.

 

Feeling motivated by this achievement, I began trying out new things. After seeing a TikTok video by @potatolover97, I decided to add some sour cream and chopped chives to my next dish for more flavor and a pop of color. The sour cream’s sharp taste combined perfectly with the creamy potatoes, making our simple side dish the highlight of the meal.

 

Thanks to my experience on TikTok, I discovered that mashed potatoes can be more exciting than I thought. They can be used as a blank space for cooking experiments. From adding roasted garlic and parmesan cheese to using truffle oil for special events, there are countless options available.

 

I have also been trying out different cooking tricks from TikTok, such as adding a bit of nutmeg to spinach to give it a new flavor, or using a piece of bread to soften brown sugar fast. These small ideas have not only helped me cook better but also made me see that browsing social media can sometimes lead to finding really helpful things.

 

Next time you make mashed potatoes, try keeping the potato skins, using chicken stock instead of water, and getting some cooking ideas from TikTok. Who can say? You could find a new favorite recipe unexpectedly, just like I did. If you’re like me and my family, you’ll absolutely love it right away!