Mashed Potato Secrets ?

I don't know any secrets, I just like them slightly chunky and on the dry side so that I can have a little sour cream or butter with them and see it.

I either bake the potatoes and peel them when they are done, or I microwave them until they are done and peel them, or I boil them whole and slip the skins off when they are done.

The potato's water content makes a difference. Potato's last year, were very wet (even the russets) and they exploded if not pierced and even if pierced they exploded when cooked when they were fresh. It's good to let them dry out a few months if the year was a wet year.
This year's potatoes are kind of dry from the drought here, so no exploding potatoes. Even potato fry companies buy potatoes with a certain water content that is typically drier than fresh potatoes.

I just mash the potatoes, adding small amounts of butter and milk and a touch of salt, until they are mostly mashed and have small chunks of potatoes left.

If memory serves me, green skin on potatoes is very bad for you and should not be eaten and potatoes are of the nightshade family. Also, it was noted in the Irish famine, people ate potatoes but due to the lack of nutrition in eating peeled potatoes, people died. They found later that the people that ate the washed (not green) peels of the potatoes received adequate nutrition--so there is value in eating potatoes with the skin on.

I love whipped Red Bliss potatoes with butter and Penzey's Mural seasoning.

It's one of their salt-free blends: http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeysmuralofflavor.html

It's my favorite for potatoes, and versatile on other things too.
I also use their Florida pepper the way most people use a saltshaker.

I've seen versions that have lime, too.

Melissa & Feather;        Thanx for interesting discussion and feedbk. My older daughter lives in St. Aug. Florida and I would be very interested in the lime blend for fish and shellfish and as a sprinkling for salads and for Mexican ... Then the one Melissa recommends for the potatoes. sounds fab. Also Great for Blackened salmon post I wrote in Southeast too. Margi.   Thanx again.

Rod. Interesting method of prep. I shall have to do a sampling. Thanks for contribution and input. Margi. Ciao.

Tas, Thanx for ur input. Root veggies and Latin American tubers are also lovely mashed. TU. Margi.

Lupinus. TU for ur contribution. Evaporated Milk.. Shall give a try. TU. Margi.

Makes for a nice creamy mashed potato.

Just don't be like my mother and confuse the evaporated and condensed milk

Personally I like the Joel Rubichon method you use 1 pound of butter for every two pounds of potatoes and add a bit of hot milk as needed.