We must have a collective and serious case of the pent-up COVID winter blues, because, for heaven’s sake, we’re excited about getting instant mashed potatoes in the mail.

The potatoes are coming, more than half a million packs of them in all, and like the Daily Memphian’s Tom Bailey told us last week, it’s just to show a little appreciation for the city that buys more Idahoan instant mashed potatoes, per capita we think, than any other place in the country.

Some folks already have received their Buttery Homestyle mashed potatoes; others of us get mail so erratically these days we don’t even bother to check. But when it’s all done, 300,000 households in Memphis will have a four-serving packet in the post and about 250,000 additional packs will be donated to the Mid-South Food Bank. 

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So what to do with them? You could make mashed potatoes, I guess. I always have a box of instant potato flakes in my pantry, kept on hand to thicken a soup or a stew. I don’t use them for a side dish, but let’s be clear that I’m not against making things easy on myself, and hands down, my favorite convenience product ever created is Ore-Ida Steam ‘N’ Mash potatoes.

Knowing that I have a pack or two of frozen potatoes about 30 feet away from where I sit right now humbles me a little. I can’t take a purist approach when I know full well that I could be eating mashed potatoes in 10 minutes or potato soup in about 15, no peeling involved.

I tried a few recipes with the Idahoan instant potatoes to see how they worked. I’ve made potato patties for a quick and easy appetizer for years. They’re super simple and everyone loves them (fried carbs!). I thought that if I mixed less water with the instant potatoes, they’d be fine.

But it turns out less is not better; you need to follow the package directions. If you try to use less water they’ll be too clumpy to make good patties.

And I made potato soup, a staple in my house, with another packet and also made a big mistake: Whatever you do, don’t cook these potatoes in chicken broth, which is what I do with frozen potatoes when I’m making soup. You’ll end up with potatoes so salty they’re inedible; they were thrown out.

I started over and the potato soup actually turned out fine, and it was all but instant. Make the potatoes according to the package directions, leave the pot alone for a few minutes, stir in ½ to 1 cup of whole milk, depending on how thick you like your soup, and season to taste. I added a dash of cream because that’s what I do.

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I turned to FaceBook and our Table Talk group to see what other people are doing with their potatoes.

Valerie Morris Bearup owns Morris Marketing Group now, but was a chef and a cookbook author some years ago; instant potatoes are in her bag of chef’s tricks. She uses them in place of breadcrumbs in at least two seafood dishes.

When she got her Idahoans, she mixed a bit of garlic powder and herbs de Provence with the instant potatoes – not cooked, still dry – and dipped fresh grouper she picked up from Paradise Seafood in beaten egg, then in the potato mix. She lightly browned it in a skillet, then finished it in the oven for about 10 minutes at 375 degrees.

She also uses them dry in place of Panko bread crumbs when she makes coconut shrimp, and shares this standard recipe. 

Kathleen Strodbeck will use hers, too – as a side dish, to thicken soups, as the topper for her shepherd’s pie. It’s practical: “It is just the two of us and to steam potatoes, then mash or use immersion blender... ack, lots of cleaning up to do,” she wrote.

Frances Ryan sees it the same way: “I keep individual size Idahoan cups in my pantry. My 94-year-old mom who was an excellent cook turned me on to them. I turned up my nose initially but tried and like them. I doctor the plain variety a bit. A must for cooking for one.”

Potato rolls and potato pancakes are also popular uses for the instant mashed. Paula Chaffin will use hers, when she gets them, for the potato rolls; Gray Carter will make potato buns; and Mary Harvey Gurley uses them for potato pancakes. 

So, while for some people it’s fresh peeled and boiled or nothing (chef Spencer McMillin says his would go in the junk mail stack) it’s clear that most of us aren’t adverse to a shortcut here or there.

Lori Marcotte Finney: “None in the mail, but I have roasted garlic mashed potatoes in my pantry always. They make an excellent topper for shepherd’s pie. I sprinkle them with cheddar before baking for extra flavor.”

Brian Janz is a fan: “I love these. What an inexpensive, quick-to-make, healthy snack (or side). I also use them as a thickener in soups. Sometimes I back off on the amount of water, and I think they taste even more like real mashed potatoes. Another little-known detail: Idahoan brand uses non-hydrogenated ingredients, so they’re healthier than some other brands.”

Jeff Fioranelli has received his, but doubts he’ll ever use them. He suggests donating them, and other people got on board with that.

Catherine Hutchison got specific: “Here’s a quick way to donate the mashed potato package. Trinity Methodist Church has a free pantry on the corner of Overton Park and Evergreen. It is always empty or semi-empty cause it is in such demand. All you do is put it in the box.”

And Bob Nelson hasn’t received his instant mashed potatoes, but he’ll survive: “Just my risotto and vichyssoise. Who knows if the hash browns will ever get here?”

Bill Webster is a funny guy, too: “It’s our stimulus.”