My Potato Dishes Taste Bland... (2025)

FAQs

My Potato Dishes Taste Bland...? ›

Try reheating the potatoes in a pan, tossing quickly with a little warm liquid and then adding the spices, cheeses, etc. just before serving. Vary the cheeses to get a sharper, more intense flavor.

Because classic potato salad is basically a softened potato mixture with mayonnaise, its flavor can be slightly bland. According to The Kitchn, you can perk up your potato salad with an easy, tasty hack, and it doesn't require any extra work: simply add pickle brine.

Not Seasoning the Water

If you leave out the salt at this point, you will get tasteless potatoes, and butter and sour cream simply can't cover the taste of a flat potato. After you mash the potatoes and add your dairy stir-ins, you can season to taste with additional salt, pepper, garlic, herbs, etc.

My scalloped potatoes are bland

They are also in need of serious seasoning to ensure deliciousness. Make sure your sauce is well-seasoned, but also, season each layer of potatoes with salt and pepper before adding the sauce, to make sure they are as flavorful as you want them!

Try reheating the potatoes in a pan, tossing quickly with a little warm liquid and then adding the spices, cheeses, etc. just before serving. Vary the cheeses to get a sharper, more intense flavor.

Adding an acid like vinegar or lemon juice and incorporating fresh herbs can also help add flavor to a potato soup. While you may not need to implement all of these strategies, it's good to keep them in the back of your mind for when you realize your next pot of soup needs a flavor boost.

Adjust the seasoning with salt, acid, and herbs. A squeeze of lemon juice can make nearly any dish better (we always add a few dashes to cream of broccoli soup, for example, to help balance the richness). And don't forget the fresh herbs!

Sometimes, good oral hygiene, including flossing, brushing, and regular use of mouthwash can alleviate the effects. In fact, if the overgrowth of oral bacteria is the cause of your dysgeusia, taking care of your oral health can permanently resolve the problem.

Acidic ingredients help lift and balance flavor. Use small amounts of ingredients with bold flavors such as pomegranate seeds, chipotle pepper or cilantro. Give a flavor burst with condiments such as horseradish, flavored mustard, chutney, wasabi, bean purees, tapenade and salsas of all kinds.

What to add to bland mashed potatoes? ›

For additional flavor, add some fresh herbs, such as chives, parsley, thyme or rosemary to the mashed potatoes after mashing them. You can also add some buttermilk, cream cheese or sour cream for a bit of a tangy, creamy flavor.

Garlic and herbs are added to boost flavor

Instead of boiling a few potatoes and mashing them plain, a lot of restaurant chefs like to apply a little more finesse. Garlic and herbs infused in butter and cream add a flavor boost without overpowering.

To help offset the PH neutrality of potatoes and keep them from turning gray, here are some other secret ingredients… add in something acidic such as a teaspoon of concentrated lemon juice, white wine vinegar, cream of tartar or even a vitamin C tablet. The type of salt you use can make a big difference.

Boost the Flavor

A few sliced mushrooms and some dried minced onion add extra flavor and depth to basic scalloped potatoes. Use dried minced onion in place of the shallots in this recipe for Potato and Mushroom Gratin to save yourself a little time chopping.

Soaking potatoes in water with a little lemon juice or white wine vinegar when you are ready to prepare them will help get rid of the earthy flavor.

Season the greens & vegetables

Your dressing or vinaigrette may be perfectly seasoned but when added to unseasoned or raw vegetables, the overall taste of the salad may turn out bland.

Just take a fine grater or zester to the rind, measure out about a half teaspoon of zest per two cups of potato salad, and mix it in. The addition of a sweet element, like sugar or any sweetener, should also be enough to neutralize the extra vinegar, but if the flavor is still off, use a pinch of baking soda.

Baking soda has the effect of making vinegar more alkaline, and all you need is a pinch of it — too much of it will contribute to an unpleasant taste. If all else fails, you can also opt for more potatoes, but lemon zest and sugar are the best places to start.