I tried a 10-minute recipe for microwaved mashed potatoes, and it was almost perfect

• I tried David Chang's quick and easy recipe for mashed potatoes — and it deserves all the hype. 
• I only needed a microwave and four ingredients: Yukon Gold potatoes, milk, butter, and seasoning.
• I loved how tasty this dish was, and it's even better with toppings.

I'm a huge fan of David Chang and I'll gladly try out any recipe the award-winning chef posts on Instagram.

It's not often a Michelin-acclaimed chef graces Instagram with an easy recipe, so when Chang shared his eight-minute mashed-potato fix, I decided to give it a try. 

I also live in a tiny NYC studio apartment and don't have much room for cooking elaborate meals, so this recipe was calling my name.

His rapid-fire video involved him masterfully chopping up potatoes with one hand, tossing them in the microwave, and mashing them to perfection. Although his skills were intimidating, the recipe was pretty straight forward.

I've never tried microwaving potatoes, so I was eager to see out how they'd turn out. 

Chang's recipe only requires a handful of ingredients.

Although Chang's recipe is quite versatile, he used four Yukon Gold potatoes in his video and I decided to stick with the expert's technique. Luckily my local grocery store had Yukons in stock. 

Chang also peeled his potatoes, though he said this step wasn't necessary.

He used butter, milk, and Momofuku savory salt. 

There was hardly any prep needed for Chang's recipe.

After washing and peeling the potatoes, I quickly chopped them up. This didn't take long since I had a potato peeler.

I made my own blend of seasoning to mimic Chang's.

I couldn't track down his Momofuku seasoning, which is supposed to have a salty and umami flavor. I improvised by mixing onion powder, umami blends, and garlic salt. 

I decided to add a touch of ground black pepper at the last minute, mainly for aesthetic reasons. 

The rest of the prep only took a few minutes.

I sprinkled the seasoning on the potatoes, mixed them up, and placed them in the microwave. This only took a couple of minutes. 

Chang heated his potatoes for eight minutes so I decided to do the same. 

After time was up, I took the potatoes out of the microwave and got to mashing. I don't have a potato masher so I thought using a fork would suffice. 

I quickly wished I had a potato masher.

I noticed the potato bits on top were warm and soft, making them easier to mash. 

This was the most time-consuming part, which would have been quite fast if I had the proper tool.

I had to "guestimate" the quantities of the other ingredients.

Chang didn't specify quantities, but I figured I'd play it by ear. I also added two knobs of butter and a healthy splash of milk to the potatoes. 

Since everything was still piping hot, the butter melted almost instantly and blended with the creamy potatoes. 

I struggled to make the potatoes softer, but a few more minutes in the microwave helped.

As much as I tried, I couldn't mash the harder, larger potatoes at the bottom of the bowl that didn't get as soft. 

I regretted not chopping the potatoes into smaller chunks but to solve this, I mixed them up and plopped them in the microwave for two more minutes.

This made a huge difference and softened up the potatoes to perfection. 

I added some more seasoning for good measure and got to mashing. I like my mashed potatoes on the chunkier side so I stopped after a minute or so. 

This quick dish was also aesthetically pleasing.

I was impressed with how easy this dish was to make, and  I loved how golden the Yukon potatoes were. It will definitely make a great Insta-worthy side dish for dinner, especially garnished. 

It also made my tiny kitchen smell incredible — buttery and peppery, like the perfect comfort meal.

The finished product was warm, flavorful, and filling.

I would definitely make this again, and maybe top it with some steamed broccoli or peas for a dose of vegetables. I could also picture this meal with chives and sour cream or shredded cheese.

Healthy doses of hot sauce add a nice kick to the final product.

On a whim, I decided to add a special ingredient to the mashed potatoes. I'm a spice enthusiast and decided to drizzle some truffle hot sauce on top. 

This completely changed the game and added the perfect mix of spice to the creamy potatoes, which complemented the umami seasoning perfectly. 

I kept adding hot sauce to the potatoes and it only got better from there. It turned the mash to an orange hue but aside from that, it completely elevated the recipe. 

I'll definitely keep Chang's recipe handy the next time I need a quick side — but next time, I'll be sure to use a potato masher. 

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