Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes

Prep the potatoes. Cut the potatoes (peeled or unpeeled) into evenly-sized chunks, about an inch or so thick, and transfer them to the bowl of your Instant Pot. Add the garlic and 1 cup of cold water.

Pressure cook. Cover and set the lid to “Sealing.” Pressure cook on high heat for 6 minutes, followed by a quick release.

Boil off the excess water. Once the pressure has released, carefully remove the lid. Press the “Sauté” button, and let the remaining water in the bottom of the pot boil off for about 3 minutes, until about half of the remaining water has evaporated. (You can push the potatoes to one side of the pot to keep an eye on the water level, and also to ensure that the potatoes on the bottom of the pot do not accidentally burn.) Press “Cancel” to stop the Instant Pot from cooking.

Add remaining ingredients. Immediately add in the cream cheese, butter, warm milk, and 2 teaspoons salt. Use a potato masher to mash everything together until the potatoes reach your desired level of smoothness and the ingredients are evenly combined. If the potatoes seem too dry, add in extra milk until they reach your desired level of creaminess.

Season. Taste the potatoes and season with extra salt (I usually add in quite a bit more) and black pepper as needed, to taste.

Serve. Serve warm, garnished with any toppings that sound good.