Perfect Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes and Parsnips

These Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes and Parsnips come out perfect every time. The slightly sweet taste of parsnips meld so well with the potatoes that you may never go back to plain mashed potatoes again.

Whether you’re making these Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes and Parsnips for Thanksgiving, Christmas, a special occasion or just as an everyday accompaniment to a meal, you’re going to be so thankful for the Instant Pot. These come out perfect every time I make them and they taste so much better than boiling the vegetables in water on the stovetop.

If you’ve never tried making mashed potatoes with parsnips, I think you’re in for a treat. You might never go back to plain old mashed potatoes again – these are so good! The parsnips have a slightly sweet flavor that goes so well with the potatoes.

I cut up the potatoes into about 1 1/2 inch cubes. If you cut them bigger, you may need to increase the cooking time. And of course, if you cut them smaller, they’ll cook faster.  With any recipe, I like to find my own ‘perfect’ cooking time.  I encourage you to experiment and then note down what works for you, for next time.  If the vegetables are under-cooked, just cook them for a couple of minutes longer.  

Yukon Gold potatoes work really well. You can use Russet potatoes if you wish.
For the parsnips, try and select smaller ones. The larger ones can have a fibrous center and may not be as sweet. If the parsnips are small, you can just scrub them well and cut them up without peeling. Their skin is very thin. For this recipe I cut them into very thick rounds and cook them along with the potatoes, placing them on top.  Feel free to change the quantity of parsnips – you can use more to get a sweeter taste.

In terms of accessories and equipment, a steamer basket is really useful. Be sure to remove the steamer basket carefully using a potholder or towel.  You could get by using a trivet and just draining the cooked vegetables into a colander.  

To mash the potatoes, my mother-in-law swears by her potato ricer and it really is great, but I haven’t got around to purchasing one.  I still use a simple potato masher, which does the job.

If you have the butter and cream at room temperature, they’ll be easier to incorporate into the mashed vegetables. No big deal if they are from the fridge, but try and take them out ahead of time if you can.  I like to add chives to the final product but you can use any fresh herbs you like.

Try Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes and Parsnips with this Instant Pot Coq au Vin Blanc – it’s a heavenly combination!If you’re new to the Instant Pot and aren’t familiar with how to use it, please read the Instant Pot Manual / Beginner’s Quick Start Guide blog post first and then come back here to learn how to make Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes and Parsnips.

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Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes and Parsnips Ingredients

Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes and Parsnips Step by Step Instructions

• Pour 2 cups water into Instant Pot inner pot.
• Place steamer basket in the inner pot.
• Place cut potatoes in the steamer basket.
• Place cut parsnips on top of the potatoes.

• Close the Instant Pot.
• Make sure the steam release handle is in the ‘Sealing’ position.
• Press ‘Manual’ (or ‘Pressure Cook’) and ‘+’ or ‘-‘ until the display reads ‘7’.

• Instant Pot display will change to ‘On’.
• Once the Instant Pot is pressurized, the float valve will go up.
• The display will count down from 7 to 0; it will then switch to ‘Keep Warm’ mode and display ‘L0:00’.

• Move the steam release handle to ‘Venting’. I like to place a folded towel over the steam release handle and move it to the venting position.
• When your Instant Pot is depressurized, the float valve will be in the down position.
• It’s now safe to open the Instant Pot. (Press ‘Cancel’ to turn off Instant Pot.)

• Carefully remove the steamer basket from the Instant Pot and empty contents into a large bowl.
• Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Using a potato masher or fork, mash the potatoes and parsnips.
• Add in the butter and half and half.  Mix until incorporated.
• Garnish with desired fresh herbs (eg. parsley, rosemary, chives….)

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Perfect Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes and Parsnips

Prep 5 mins

Cook 12 mins

Total 17 mins

Author Paint the Kitchen Red

Yield 6

These Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes and Parsnips come out perfect every time. The slightly sweet taste of parsnips meld so well with the potatoes that you may never go back to plain mashed potatoes again.

Ingredients

• 3 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 lb parsnips, cut into 1-inch thick circles
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 4 Tbsp butter, room temperature
• 4 Tbsp half and half

Instructions

1. Pour 2 cups water into Instant Pot inner pot.
2. Place steamer basket in inner pot.
3. Place cut potatoes in the steamer basket.
4. Place cut parsnips on top of potatoes.
5. Close the Instant Pot and cook on 'Manual' (or 'Pressure Cook') for 7 minutes.
6. Do a Quick Release of pressure.
7. Open the Instant Pot and carefully remove the steamer basket from the Instant Pot and empty into a large bowl.
8. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
9. Using a potato masher or fork, mash the potatoes and parsnips.
10. Add in the butter and half and half and mix well.
11. Garnish with fresh herbs (e.g. parsley, chives, rosemary) if desired.

Courses Side Dish

Cuisine Instant Pot

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1/6 quantity

Amount Per Serving
Calories 312
% Daily Value
Total Fat 9 g		14%
	Saturated Fat 5 g	25%
Cholesterol 25 mg		8%
Sodium 466 mg		19%
Total Carbohydrates 71 g		24%
	Dietary Fiber 9 g	36%
	Sugars 6 g
Protein 6 g		12%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

I am not a certified nutritionist.  I provide my best estimate of nutritional information merely as a courtesy to my readers.  If you depend on nutritional information for dietary or health reasons,  I suggest using your favorite online nutrition calculator to confirm the nutritional value of this recipe based on the actual ingredients that you use.

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