Filling The Tank on a Monday? GasBuddy Says You'll Save Money

Are Golden Corral's Beloved Mashed Potatoes Instant Or The Real Deal?

While there are many ways to eat potatoes, there's nothing quite as classic as mashing them into a steaming pile of buttery goodness. One restaurant that does a great job at this is Golden Corral. Golden Corral is a buffet chain that opened in North Carolina in the early 1970s. It's open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, offering a variety of main dishes and sides that people can load up their plates with. Its lunch and dinner menus include mashed potatoes as well as variations on the classic side that add cheese and garlic — yum!

While there may be restaurants that take the easy route and make their mashed potatoes from instant potato flakes, Golden Corral isn't one of them. Instead, this company does the hard work of peeling, cooking, and mashing its potatoes in-house. In fact, because it makes its mashed potatoes from scratch, this chain claims to peel over a million potatoes a week! All that hard work has led to great-tasting 'taters for its buffet.

Read more: What These Imitation Foods Are Actually Made Of

The Secret To Golden Corral's Tasty Mashed Potatoes

Plate of mashed potatoes with herbs - Wsmahar/Getty Images

Golden Corral hasn't released its official recipe for mashed potatoes (after all, it's got to keep some things secret). However, it has given us some insight into how it makes its potatoes.

The company claims its secret to this tasty side is hand-peeled potatoes paired with whole buttermilk and white pepper. While Golden Corral may not have shared much else about what ingredients go into its mashed potatoes, we do know a little more about this side's nutritional information. For instance, we know these mashed potatoes contain soy, which could be an allergen for some people. We also know that this side packs about 200 calories for every ½ cup, although this amount can change depending on whether you're eating regular, garlic, or garlic and cheddar varieties.

At the end of the day, while we may not be privy to Golden Corral's exact mashed potatoes recipe, one thing is for sure — the company skips the packaged instant potatoes and creates a from-scratch tasty side. So, next time you go to the buffet, know that its cooks poured a little extra love into your potatoes by avoiding the instant version.

What's The Difference Between Instant And Fresh Mashed Potatoes Anyway?

Box of instant mashed potatoes - Julie Thurston Photography/Getty Images

If you're wondering what all the fuss is over whether or not Golden Corral's mashed potatoes are instant or from scratch, it may help to know what instant mashed potatoes are. The boxed version is made from real potatoes, which are processed and mashed before dehydrating. While some instant mashed potato brands only contain the vegetable itself, others contain lengthy lists of ingredients and additives. The result is that these instant flakes may have unwanted ingredients added in as preservatives.

Besides not being as natural as making mashed potatoes yourself, when manufacturers dehydrate potatoes into flakes, they also lose some of the dietary fiber. That means that you won't be getting the same nutritional value as you would from fresh mashed potatoes. Finally, instant mashed potatoes don't always have the buttery, milky taste of from-scratch recipes, nor do they have the same texture. The result is that swapping out real potatoes for instant flakes can lead to some noticeable differences in your dish. Luckily, if you're dining at Golden Corral, you don't have to worry about any of this and can rest assured that you're enjoying bonafide whole potatoes!

Read the original article on Daily Meal.

View comments

KFC Is Testing Out A Smashed Potato Version Of Its Famous Bowls

Iconic chicken chain Kentucky Fried Chicken has announced that it will soon test all-new versions of its ever-popular Famous Bowls in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Smash'd Potato Bowl includes KFC's Secret Recipe Fries, mashed potatoes with cheese sauce, bacon bits, and a shredded cheese blend. The new Smash'd Potato Bowl can also be topped with fried chicken for a couple of dollars more. In addition to the new bowls, KFC included smaller versions to its kid's menu in March of this year.

The regular Smash'd Potato Bowl without chicken is priced at $3.49  and $5.49 with five chicken nuggets included. That's a reasonable price for hot comfort food in a bowl, and it is sure to be as filling as the other Famous Bowls on the menu. As with KFC's other Famous Bowls, the Smash'd Potato Bowl is a full meal that can be eaten at one time with a fork (and a napkin).

Read more: The Best Wings In Every State

KFC bucket - Pjohnson1/Getty Images

Since its inception in 2006, theKFC Famous Bowl has grown in popularity because of the mash-up of comfort foods deliciously piled in a bowl and topped with cheese. This year alone, KFC has reintroduced Mac and Cheese Bowls and is planning to reintroduce the Nashville Hot Sauce for their nuggets, which are included in the Spicy Mac and Cheese Bowl. KFC is known for its marketing prowess, and releasing this bowl of comfort food during the fall is one example of this. Last year, the company introduced its $5.00 Bowl deal with holiday-themed bowls in time for Christmas.

KFC has its finger on the pulse of the consumer, which is why it releases and re-releases menu items often. One of the new menu items this year was the Kentucky Fried Chicken Wraps, introduced with hopes of attracting younger consumers. If the new Famous Bowls sell as well as the other new menu items, this is sure to be a hit. So, if you're in the Pittsburgh area, you can treat yourself to the new Famous Bowl and judge for yourself.

Read the original article on Mashed.

View comments

Smashed Vs Mashed Potatoes: What's The Difference?

Mashed potatoes in bowl - Milanfoto/Getty Images

Because of their high carb content and the many less-than-healthy ways to prepare them, potatoes get a bad rap. Nevertheless, these starchy vegetables should be in your diet. We're going to forego examining all the nutritional benefits to focus on versatility, flavor, and texture.

Essentially, you can turn potatoes into just about anything. They can be sweet, savory, chunky, smooth, or even crunchy. You can eat them with your fingers, a fork, or a spoon. Potatoes can be served whole, cut, smashed, or mashed. And yes, smashed and mashed are two distinct things. While some people might use the terms smash and mash interchangeably, they are not the same. 'Smash' is when you merely break something into pieces. However, "mash" means you reduce a food to a soft, pulpy mass. Therefore, making smashed potatoes and mashed potatoes requires two different processes. To get the best results, you need to know the difference.

Read more: The Best Vegetarian Dishes To Take To A Cookout

How To Make Smashed Potatoes

Smashed potatoes - La_vanda/Getty Images

Making smashed potatoes is a three-step process. You must boil, smash, and bake. First, boil them (whole) until they are tender. If you don't have patience during this step, your dish won't have a smooth texture for a uniform smash. If you forget about them and boil them for too long, your potatoes will disintegrate when you smash them. The sweet spot is to boil your potatoes just long enough that you can stick a fork in and pull it out without resistance.

Smashing is the fun part. The best approach is to arrange your boiled potatoes directly on an oiled baking sheet to get a crispy texture. Use something like the bottom of a clean measuring cup that is large enough to smash the entire potato with a single press, and add the flavor elements you desire. Onions, pepper, chives, and cheese are all suitable options. You can follow a recipe for this portion or create your own smash-terpiece.

Story continues

To finish, roast the smashed potatoes until they are golden and crisp. Depending on your oven, you may need to rotate your baking sheet during this final stage to get the best results.

How To Make Mashed Potatoes

Mashed potatoes - Travellinglight/Getty Images

Making mashed potatoes is similar to making smashed potatoes, but it only requires two steps. You just need to boil and mash. In step one, you must do a little more work than you did for smashing. While it isn't essential, it is wise to peel and cut potatoes before boiling for mashing. The smaller pieces not only cook faster, but they are much easier to work with than whole potatoes. The secret to getting the best results is to make sure all the pieces are roughly the same size, as this guarantees even cooking.

As with smashed potatoes, cook until fork tender. Add the potatoes to a bowl and begin mashing them with a handheld potato masher, a mixer, or a potato ricer, depending on your preference. At this point, you also want to mix in flavor elements as directed by your recipe. This could include salt, pepper, milk, butter, and stock. If you are not serving them immediately, you can keep your mashed potatoes warm in a slow cooker until it's time to eat.

Read the original article on Mashed.

---