I like having instant on hand for a quick meal.I have never had them come out really thick.I like them with extra milk,less water and lots of butter.Real mash when I have time.

They are great if you are in a hurry to thicken something up.

M'ija brought one of her new roommates over for Thanksgiving last year. After a few bites of the mashed potatoes, the roommate said, "These are really good. What brand are they?" M'ija started laughing so hard I thought she was going to choke. When her roommate looked confused, she caught her breath and explained, "There are no instant potatoes in my mom's house. In fact, there isn't much instant anything."
To me, instant potatoes just never have the right texture.
I like my mashed potatoes thick, but not pasty, and I make them WITH the skins.

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We do not like them either. YUCK...It is either the real thing or nothing. My hubby used to eat the fake ones at home all the time. My mom did a mixture of both. We adopted the real version. When we go to MIL's for family meals, she makes the real ones.

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~~Sharon...wife to Bill for 17 yrs and mom to Kevin,16; Stephanie,14 and Tyler,8~~

Mainly I make real ones. But sometimes instant. It depends on the brand, and you have to add enough liquid. If made right, they usually turn out light and fluffy.
My husbands mother is a half and half homemade type of person. She makes roasts and stuff, but I think she did hamburger helper when he was growing up at times. She makes her cakes from a mix. And it drives me nuts that she makes stove top stuffing at Thanksgiving. She does doctor it up.

But she makes real mashed potatoes, and hers are the best I have ever had.

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"The Christian does not think that God will love us because we are good, but God will make us good because he loves us."- C.S. Lewis

DH loves my homemade mashed potatoes and potato cakes.

In a pinch, I will take instant potatoes and make them like the directions call for, but I do leave out the butter. Put them in the fridge to chill. Then I cut up a onion and add one beaten egg and enough flour to make patties. Fry them in oil, and you have quick potato cakes.

We call them potato patties here but we LOVE them. I usually make extra mashed potatoes and use the leftovers to make the patties. The kids like them better than french fries.

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"When people can walk away from you, let them walk. Your destiny is never tied to anyone that left." Jakes

I make both of them equally here at home. My mom only makes real mashed potatoes and MIL only makes instant garlic ones...

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