These Potato Hacks Might Just Save Your Skin This Thanksgiving

If I started praising potatoes, I don’t think I’d ever stop. Saying I love these little tubers would be the understatement of the century. They’ve been a constant throughout my days, and through countless other people’s lives, too – and while they’re on the menu every day of the year, they really come into their own when the holidays are approaching. But they can quickly become a little less of a boon, and a bit more of an annoyance. They take forever to peel. They’re not crisping up properly. They don’t taste as they should. And so on. 

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When you’re in the heat of the moment (ie., preparing a Thanksgiving meal), you really don’t want to be thinking about these things. Luckily, these hacks will help. Incorporate these tricks into your Thanksgiving (or Christmas, or any other celebration), and feel the stress evaporate.

Water + Knife = Quick Peeling

Peeling potatoes isn’t anyone’s idea of fun, and if you have a lot of them to work through, it can take way more time than you’d like. Thankfully, you can cut down on prep considerably by giving them a boil. Simply take your potatoes and make a single shallow cut around the middle of each one (deep enough to cut through the skin, but not so deep that you’re actually slicing them). Then, place them into a pan of boiling water and cook them until fork-tender, before shocking them in some ice water. 

Once they’ve cooled, you should be able to pull the skin off easily, without any need for a peeler. Incidentally, this step also cuts down on your roasting time considerably: No waiting for them to cook through.

Roast Your Potatoes In Mayonnaise

If you’re sick of underpowered roasted potatoes that don’t quite have the levels of crispiness or flavor you want, the solution is sitting in your pantry. Prepare your potatoes as you normally would, but instead of using oil or duck fat, cover them in mayonnaise before tipping them onto a baking sheet and roasting them. Crucially, this has to be regular, full-fat mayo. 

As the potatoes cook, the mayonnaise serves several functions. Its high fat levels work to crisp up the potatoes, as regular oil would, while the egg proteins provide both a full flavor and superior browning. The acidity in mayo, meanwhile, balances out its richness, while the salt seasons it, and the condiment’s thickness ensures it adheres to every part of the potato, cooking it evenly. 

No Snacks? Use Your Potato Peels

You may not want skins on your Thanksgiving potatoes – but there’s no reason to banish them from existence. Instead of throwing away your potato peels, collect them in a bowl, give them a quick rinse and dry, and then toss them in olive oil and your seasonings of choice. Then, put them in the air fryer for 12-15 minutes, ensuring they’re not piled on top of each other too much.

You’ll end up with potato peel chips that can serve while your guests mill around and talk to each other. Pair them with your dip of choice for a no-waste, frugal, delicious, crunchy snack.