A Super Easy Real Potatoes Side Dish for Crazy Weeknights – On Demand!
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Thank you Idahoan® Mashed Potatoes for sponsoring this post. Idahoan® Mashed Potatoes are real potatoes, real easy, delivering homemade taste on demand.
As parents, busy weeknights can become a little hectic. Especially when you must create meals that the little ones will eat without whining. Many of us find ourselves standing in front of the fridge with the door open, agonizing over what in the world we are going to make for dinner, while the kids run rampant behind us.
We are busy, we don’t have time to be standing there freezing our buns off in front of an open fridge, and yet sometimes we end up doing it. This is totally common and is a direct result of not having a meal plan and not having quick and easy options on hand.
These crazy nights don’t only require us to create a quick and easy main, but we also need to figure out quick and easy side dishes. This can seem somewhat impossible, especially if you have a house full of picky eaters.
You see, making side dishes can be almost as time-consuming as making the main. Between chopping, boiling, seasoning and more, side dishes can take a whack of time to create and lots of dishes to make. This is where I try to find quick and easy side dishes that work well with almost every kind of main dish.
We need something that can be made in minutes with very little prep, little cleanup, and little effort. After all, on hectic weeknights there is usually homework to be done, extracurriculars to attend and kids to get into bed. Throughout all that who in their right mind wants to worry about what to serve for supper? Not me.
Idahoan® Mashed Potatoes to the Rescue
Whenever we are looking for an easy and delicious side dish, we opt for bagged Idahoan® Mashed Potatoes. Not only are the easy to make but they taste amazing. The kids love them. Ready in minutes just by adding water, we have always enjoyed making these on busy, hectic nights.
I always keep several of these stocked away in the pantry for extra crazy nights. They are especially great for my husband to make. I was sick for nearly two weeks this month and he had to take care of everyone's food. Scary thought. He's not the best cook in the world but these potatoes saved him. Pouring a packet into boiling water is right up his alley and everyone loves them.
What to Serve with Potatoes?
These mashed potatoes can make the perfect side dish to pretty much every single main.
Made from 100% real Idaho potatoes and blended with real cheeses and authentic seasonings. Their taste and texture are so spot on that they've earned the title of “America’s Favorite Mashed Potatoes”. Whether you are making a pork dish, something with chicken or even a vegetable dish, these potatoes will be perfectly nestled beside whatever you choose.
Pork
Beef
Chicken
Fish
Turkey
Lamb
Vegetables
ALMOST EVERYTHING!
How to Make Idahoan Mashed Potatoes
The great news is that these delicious mashed potatoes can be made either on the stovetop or using the microwave. This means not only are they quick and easy to make, but you don’t even have to turn on the stovetop if you don’t want to.
This is perfect for those busy weeknights after a long day of work where you just want to feed your kids something they will eat without having to get frostbite from conducting exploration in front of the fridge.
Idahoan Mashed Potatoes come in so many delicious flavors that there's one everyone in your family is bound to love. We are huge fans of pretty much all of them. There's Buttery Homestyle®, Butter and Herb, Roasted Garlic, Four Cheese, Buttery Golden Selects, and Bacon & Cheddar Chipotle. Oh, SO good!
Dinner time doesn’t have to be stressful, complicated or time-consuming to be delicious. Finding a yummy, quick and easy to make side dish to serve your family on busy weeknights is easy when you use Idahoan mashed potatoes!
Krystle Cook – the creator of Home Jobs by MOM – put her psychology degree on a shelf and dived into a pile of diapers and dishes instead. She is a wife and mother to two rambunctious boys, sweating it out in her Texas hometown. She loves cooking, DIY home projects, and family fun activities.
I love these mashed potatoes! They are so good and quick and easy to make. I also love the fact that they come in different flavors; my family loves them all.
These look wonderful. Potatoes are something that my husband and other members of my family love to have for dinner. These packages that are easy and can be doctored are just something I had not thought about.Thank you for the idea.
I love mashed potatoes. Idahoan Instant potatoes come in single serving sizes which helps with portion control for me. I like that they are made from real potatoes. Steamed asparagus is my favorite side dish. It can be dressed up with cheese sauce or lemon
VeggieMash from Idaho Spuds has three Broccoli & Cheddar, Butter &Herbs and also Ranch. I am not a big fan of instant pouch sides like this but these are really good. Birds Eye Steamfresh is good too.
Personally, I don’t like mash potatoes, but I cook it for my hubby and kids, they love it. Sometimes I cook fried or baked chicken with it, with some green beans and corn bread.
I like mashed potatoes. I like potatoes period, lol Unfortunately they have a lot of starch so I have to watch how much I eat of them. I use real potatoes, not boxed or processed mixes; I avoid those due to the strange ingredients those contain. I try to have mashed, or boiled potatoes a few times a week to accompany whichever meal I’m making 🙂
I’m guessing you like lumpy mashed potatoes? The more authentic, hand mashed type. To me, these mashed potatoes are like if you whipped them with a mixer.
I love mashed potatoes! Instant or homemade. I think my favorite side dish is my moms potato salad. I like it with onions but my dad always get mad when she puts those in. He’s picky. Lol
I absolutely adore mashed potatoes especially with some chicken stock added with the water. However, I’m currently doing keto to lose some weight so it’s cauliflower for me.
I lov mashed potatoes and the Idahoan brand really is good—I love their loaded baked potato packets. I like all veggies pretty much, but sweet potatoes make a great healthy side and most people like them.
I love these mashed potatoes!! I also find that they do good mixed with some cheddar and pipping them out and baking them a little in a pile. My son just loves the cheese!!
The mashed potatoes in the article looks really good. Potato is one of my favorite foods, love it in a variety of forms including mashed and french fries, either alone or with something like cheese or ketchup.
Everyone in my house loves mashed potatoes! So funny that every time I make them, I try to make a little extra for the next day. However, there are never any leftovers.
Mashed potatoes are one of the best comfort foods. My two favorite side dishes are parmesan roasted asparagus and oven roasted Brussels sprouts with balsamic reduction.
I hear ya; but I think carbs get a bad rap. We need carbs, and potatoes are a healthy way to get them. (So long as we don’t load them up with tons of butter, et.al.)
Carbs do get a bad rap. They can be really good for energy. I just try not to eat too many when I am trying to lose weight. Otherwise, they are part of my diet.
I had a comment & can’t find so please forgive if there’s two. I have Crohns + don’t eat meat so potatoes are major food group for me. I love potato cakes, make them often. I also have come up with best way to microwave a “baked” tater. I boil them whole till semi tender, put in a baggie, & finish in microwave. Close to oven baked taste & didnt even turn oven on.
Not really 🙁 Its kinda basted on how much mashed potatoes I have left over or made for cakes.
potatoes, frozen corn, cheese, chives, bread crumbs/panko (grew up mom used crush crackers) spices of choice hot etc, egg
Mix together till you can press it in your hand and it stays together its enough. I make the cakes and lay them on a cookie sheet and freeze for about 15 minutes or so. I use cast iron with a some oil, fry till its just brown, flip. Then I place them back on the cookie sheet and into the oven this way the oven finishes cooking the inside. So it not much of a recipe but potato cakes are one of my favorites and you can add so many different things to them.
We love mashed potatoes at our house. I just made them last week for a vegetarian shepherd’s pie. Our favorite side dish is usually something with vegetables though. My kids really love broccoli cheese casserole.
Your broccoli cheese casserole sounds good to me! My kids don’t like too many veggies. Unless it’s salad especially my youngest, but my older one likes more variety though. They both love fruit at least.
Wait, what?! Bagged potatoes that actually TASTE like potatoes?! Sounds like I may have to give them a try because with track & spring soccer starting soon, dinnertime is about to get crazy!
My grandfather is a fan of sweet potatoes too. I don’t know why I don’t like them, especially with brown sugar and butter. I love those two things lol.
I actually buy this brand of potatoes, they have so many great flavors with my favorite being the sour cream and chives. I like to eat them with a roast, it can be beef or even a good seasoned pork one.
We have tried the Idahoan and have liked them with our meals. Mashed potatoes are probably one of the best side dishes to a meal. Easy and they are liked by most. I like the garlic flavor.
I don’t make mashed potatoes that often, because peeling potatoes and cutting them can be time consuming. I’ll need to check out this out for a quick and easy side dish. I like that they’re made from 100% real Idaho potatoes and blended with real cheeses and authentic seasonings
I love mashed potatoes but don’t really have them all that often. Not really sure why but now you’ve got me craving them. I’ll have to pick some of these up and try them in the microwave for our weeknight dinners.
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Garlic is my favorite Idahoan potatoes.
That’s one of my favs too! Although the rest of my family prefers just the plain Idahoan potatoes
I have never seen these at hyvee
They sell these mashed potatoes – https://www.hy-vee.com/grocery/SC4865947/Boxed-Potatoes 🙂
We love the loaded mashed potatoes and I personally love how quick I can whip these up!
It’s amazing how great mashed potatoes can come from a bag
These are great and my whole family loves them!
Our family loves these potatoes too!
I’m always looking for something easy. I don’t think I’ve tried these before.
They are super yummy potatoes!
I love these mashed potatoes! They are so good and quick and easy to make. I also love the fact that they come in different flavors; my family loves them all.
My fan is a fan of their original potatoes. They start snubbing it if I go for loaded or anything else. Picky things lol!
These look wonderful. Potatoes are something that my husband and other members of my family love to have for dinner. These packages that are easy and can be doctored are just something I had not thought about.Thank you for the idea.
These potatoes are great for a quick and easy side
These sound real yummy.
These look delicious and easy to make. All the flavors sound good, especially the 4 cheese and bacon and cheddar.
We love these potatoes! Delicious and quick to make. Just My Style 🙂
We buy Idahoan brand and they taste really good. We dress them up a little with a lot of good butter, lol, but they’re good.
That’s how my son likes these mashed potatoes. Just with butter 🙂
Am a mashed potato addict. I add sour cream to my instants. And we usually try to make 2 veggies.
I am a fan of adding sour cream too! Plus cheese and butter 🙂
I love mashed potatoes. Idahoan Instant potatoes come in single serving sizes which helps with portion control for me. I like that they are made from real potatoes. Steamed asparagus is my favorite side dish. It can be dressed up with cheese sauce or lemon
I love asparagus as a side dish too
We love mashed potatoes and usually have them at every meal. I’ll try these for a side dish.
If you love mashed potatoes you should def try these!
I buy these all of the time, all of the flavors are delicious! I love that I can make them super quick to pair with any meal.
I love how quick these can be made too!
We swear by those Idahoan mashed potatoes. I have to admit though that my favorite side dish is a baked sweet potato.
I don’t know why I can’t get behind sweet potatoes. I guess I just haven’t had them prepared the right way yet.
We love mashed potatoes as a side. I really like the flavored mashed cauliflower sides too!
I haven’t tried a flavored cauliflower mash yet. What flavors are there?
VeggieMash from Idaho Spuds has three Broccoli & Cheddar, Butter &Herbs and also Ranch. I am not a big fan of instant pouch sides like this but these are really good. Birds Eye Steamfresh is good too.
Thanks for the suggestions! I’m always looking for new ways to get more veggies.
I love mashed potatoes they are my favorite side other than vegetables. I love vegetables escpecially green beans
I love green beans too. What’s your favorite way to make them?
Personally, I don’t like mash potatoes, but I cook it for my hubby and kids, they love it. Sometimes I cook fried or baked chicken with it, with some green beans and corn bread.
Do you not like the taste or is it more of a texture thing?
I love mashed potatoes with anything. My favorite would be mash potatoes and roast with a salad.
My son would love that meal too!
I love mashed potatoes with black pepper. My favorite side dishes would have to be corn and mac & cheese!
My kids would be a fan of your meals it sounds like!
I like mashed potatoes. I like potatoes period, lol Unfortunately they have a lot of starch so I have to watch how much I eat of them. I use real potatoes, not boxed or processed mixes; I avoid those due to the strange ingredients those contain. I try to have mashed, or boiled potatoes a few times a week to accompany whichever meal I’m making 🙂
I watch how much I eat of them because of the carbs. I wish they were carb free lol!
As a kid I loved mashed potatoes but these days I prefer them roasted. My favorite side dish was always green beans.
I like roasted potatoes too!!
Instant potatoes have a texture that I could live without. I would rather go without than serve instant.
I’m guessing you like lumpy mashed potatoes? The more authentic, hand mashed type. To me, these mashed potatoes are like if you whipped them with a mixer.
We love mashed potatoes – any way and any time! I will definitely try the dishes you have described.
You’ll love them – they are SO easy to make!
I love mashed potatoes! Instant or homemade. I think my favorite side dish is my moms potato salad. I like it with onions but my dad always get mad when she puts those in. He’s picky. Lol
I like potato salad too but not with onions. I just don’t like the crunch for some reason.
I absolutely adore mashed potatoes especially with some chicken stock added with the water. However, I’m currently doing keto to lose some weight so it’s cauliflower for me.
I like cauliflower mashed potatoes too. They taste like broccoli soup to me lol.
I lov mashed potatoes and the Idahoan brand really is good—I love their loaded baked potato packets. I like all veggies pretty much, but sweet potatoes make a great healthy side and most people like them.
I don’t like sweet potatoes but I’m weird lol.
I am now wanting mashed tators its one of my favorites! So good I love adding lots of butter to it!
Butter makes so many things better. Yum!
These mashed potatoes look very tasty. Thanks for sharing!
They taste amazing!
I love these mashed potatoes!! I also find that they do good mixed with some cheddar and pipping them out and baking them a little in a pile. My son just loves the cheese!!
Mishelle
I bet they look extra good that way!
a fun fact that you didn’t know about me is that I CRAVE mashed potatoes sometimes.. it doesn’t matter what day or time. I just love them.
That is a fun fact! I usually only crave sweets and sometimes meat lol.
My family loves mashed potatoes and I hate peeling them. These look convenient and yummy.
Peeling potatoes can be annoying. These are so much easier!
The mashed potatoes in the article looks really good. Potato is one of my favorite foods, love it in a variety of forms including mashed and french fries, either alone or with something like cheese or ketchup.
Potatoes are great, I just wish they weren’t so starchy.
These potatoes look so delicious! My favorite way to cook potatoes as a side dish is to roast them in the oven, but mashed are great as well.
Roasted potatoes are good too! Especially with some olive oil and spices 🙂
TO ME, MASHED POTATO IS A GREAT TASTING SIDE DISH.
I have to agree with you, Jeff! Mashed potatoes are great 🙂
Everyone in my house loves mashed potatoes! So funny that every time I make them, I try to make a little extra for the next day. However, there are never any leftovers.
Ha, that happened to me last week when I tried to make mashed potatoes. I wanted extras but there was none 🙁
I want to give this a try. My favorite side dish white beans.
Are those kind of like navy beans?
Mashed potatoes are a really versatile food, perfect as a side dish. I love to pair them with peas and crumbled bacon, then eat it all together.
Sounds delicious! I don’t mind mixing my foods either.
LOL, what can I say, again, about mashed potatoes?? I’ve never met someone who doesn’t like mashed potatoes. As for me, I could eat them every day.
My oldest son isn’t a big mashed potato fan although he likes a baked potato lol?
Mashed potatoes are one of the best comfort foods. My two favorite side dishes are parmesan roasted asparagus and oven roasted Brussels sprouts with balsamic reduction.
Both of those sides sound like they would be amazing with mashed potatoes.
My family and I love mashed potatoes. Mashed, baked or fried, potatoes are our favorite side dish.
Potatoes are so versatile! I just wish they had fewer carbs lol.
I hear ya; but I think carbs get a bad rap. We need carbs, and potatoes are a healthy way to get them. (So long as we don’t load them up with tons of butter, et.al.)
Carbs do get a bad rap. They can be really good for energy. I just try not to eat too many when I am trying to lose weight. Otherwise, they are part of my diet.
I had a comment & can’t find so please forgive if there’s two. I have Crohns + don’t eat meat so potatoes are major food group for me. I love potato cakes, make them often. I also have come up with best way to microwave a “baked” tater. I boil them whole till semi tender, put in a baggie, & finish in microwave. Close to oven baked taste & didnt even turn oven on.
Sounds like a neat baked potato trick! If I don’t want to bake it, I just microwave it 5 minutes per side. Turns out nice and soft.
I like my mashed potatoes because I use half and half, butter and sour cream. And I whip them
Those mashed potatoes sound great to me!
We use the Idahoan potatoes quite often. I like to add a green veggie or yellow squash to the dish as well.
Like in the mashed potatoes?
I have always been a fan of mashed potatoes, especially with gravy. I prefer au gratin and scalloped potatoes more though.
I like those kinds of potatoes too but I don’t eat them too often. Do you have a good recipe for them?
We have mashed potatoes several times a week. I have rasised a meat and potato bunch so mashed is alwways good.
Sounds like you are a big fan of mashed potatoes. Yay!!
I love mashed potatoes. My favourite side dish is any steamed vegetable with olive oil and lemon.
Mashed potatoes and veggies always go great together I think 🙂
My family loves mashed potatoes. They love it with brown sauce. My other fave side dish is roasted brussels sprouts.
Mashed potatoes with brown gravy is so good!! I don’t know why I don’t make gravy more often.
I love mashed potatoes. I would say they are my favorite side dish.
I love mashed potatoes too! They go great with so many dishes.
I have a least 3 different types in my cabinet right now. I will have them with a meat and sometimes makes potato cakes with left overs
Do you have a potato cake recipe you like? I’ve never made them before.
Not really 🙁 Its kinda basted on how much mashed potatoes I have left over or made for cakes.
potatoes, frozen corn, cheese, chives, bread crumbs/panko (grew up mom used crush crackers) spices of choice hot etc, egg
Mix together till you can press it in your hand and it stays together its enough. I make the cakes and lay them on a cookie sheet and freeze for about 15 minutes or so. I use cast iron with a some oil, fry till its just brown, flip. Then I place them back on the cookie sheet and into the oven this way the oven finishes cooking the inside. So it not much of a recipe but potato cakes are one of my favorites and you can add so many different things to them.
Sounds yummy, Gloria! Thanks for the tips. I’ll have to give that a go one day.
We love mashed potatoes at our house. I just made them last week for a vegetarian shepherd’s pie. Our favorite side dish is usually something with vegetables though. My kids really love broccoli cheese casserole.
Your broccoli cheese casserole sounds good to me! My kids don’t like too many veggies. Unless it’s salad especially my youngest, but my older one likes more variety though. They both love fruit at least.
I am a potato lover. I eat mashed potatoes with pork chops, hamburger and alone
Potatoes are pretty awesome. I would get mashed potatoes with all those things too!
Wait, what?! Bagged potatoes that actually TASTE like potatoes?! Sounds like I may have to give them a try because with track & spring soccer starting soon, dinnertime is about to get crazy!
Spring is always hectic with kids sports and projects. These potatoes taste great and I’m picky about my potatoes! Def a life saver for weeknights.
Mashed potatoes need to be creamy! And my favorite side dish is probably sweet potatoes with butter and brown sugar.
My grandfather is a fan of sweet potatoes too. I don’t know why I don’t like them, especially with brown sugar and butter. I love those two things lol.
I love mashed potatoes, but my favorite side dish is my aunt’s ranch potato dish she makes.
Do you have a recipe for that? It sounds amazing!
These look good & convenient. I like mashed potatoes but these days I prefer to toast my potatoes in the oven.
I do that sometimes too! Or when I’m in a pinch the microwave.
I love Idahoan mashed potatoes! They make a great side.
Idahoan mashed potatoes do make a great side!! I pretty much love them with any kind of meat.
I actually buy this brand of potatoes, they have so many great flavors with my favorite being the sour cream and chives. I like to eat them with a roast, it can be beef or even a good seasoned pork one.
The sour cream and chives mashed potatoes sounds right up my alley. I think I need to buy that flavor next. You are making me hungry!
I like a good creamy mashed potato, I have had costco mash potatoes.. never really made it from scratch though
I’ll have to try Costco’s mashed potatoes sometime. I’m usually a Sams girl.
My favorite in potatoes is mash potatoes with lots of butter. I also love meat loaf with my potatoes and a salad. That’s making me hungry.
You are making me hungry too!
I love mashed potatoes. They are my favorite side dish.
Do you add any toppings to your mashed potatoes?
Mashed potatoes are bomb and my favourite side dish
They are awesome!
I love mashed potatoes. I’ll eat them whenever possible. I like the udahoan packs too, they come in handy.
Yes, totally agree. Idahoan makes for a yummy, quick side!
Asparagus & peas go great with mashed potatoes!
I love both of those veggies! They do go amazingly with mashed potatoes 🙂
We use the Idahoan brand often. Too much work to make them scratch when there is just the two of us.
Yes, Idahoan is great for two!! No need to make a ton and waste food.
We have tried the Idahoan and have liked them with our meals. Mashed potatoes are probably one of the best side dishes to a meal. Easy and they are liked by most. I like the garlic flavor.
Garlic mashed potatoes are super yummy!!
I don’t make mashed potatoes that often, because peeling potatoes and cutting them can be time consuming. I’ll need to check out this out for a quick and easy side dish. I like that they’re made from 100% real Idaho potatoes and blended with real cheeses and authentic seasonings
Agreed. Fresh mashed potatoes are very time-consuming. Probably the only time I’d attempt that would be Thanksgiving lol.
I love mashed potatoes but don’t really have them all that often. Not really sure why but now you’ve got me craving them. I’ll have to pick some of these up and try them in the microwave for our weeknight dinners.
Grab some Idahoan potatoes and have a great side dish any time!
Mashed potatoes are always a big hit with the little ones. Idahoan Instant potatoes make life so much easier and they are quick and healthy.
I so agree. I think I’m going to make some tonight!