1 Peel potatoes and cut into chunks about 2 inches in size. Place in large pot of salted water (at least 1 teaspoon of salt in the water) and boil 15 minutes or until potatoes break easily when pierced with a fork.

2 Drain potatoes well but leave them in the pot.

3 Add hot milk, beginning with the smaller amount. Add butter. Mash with potato masher and add more milk, butter, salt and pepper if necessary to suit your taste.

4 Tips and Variations:
Warming the milk before you add it to the potatoes is best as it results in a very creamy potato. To make life easy, what I sometimes do is add the milk to the drained potatoes in the pot, let it warm on the hot stove, then add the butter and mash.
To make a herbed mashed potatoes recipe add a few tablespoons of your favorite chopped fresh herbs after the potatoes are mashed. Finely chopped chives are delicious. Basil, parsley or finely chopped thyme work well too.