Does Golden Corral Make Instant Or Homemade Mashed Potatoes?

Golden Corral is one of the popular 90s restaurants currently making a comeback — people appreciate the chain for what it is. It offers mass appeal, including all-you-can-eat-breakfast on the weekends, as well as a huge variety of lunch and dinner items, everything from classic chicken fried steak to homey meatloaf and mashed potatoes. Of course, some restaurant chains are renowned for their homemade mashed potatoes, like Culver's, but can Golden Corral claim the same? While they did tout their from-scratch mashed potatoes in 2015, it does appear that they are no longer made on-site. However they aren't quite instant either.

The first clue is the presence of soy in its ingredient list. This could indicate the use of something like hydrolyzed soy protein, which helps give food a savory taste, and is common in some instant mixes. However, on a Reddit thread from years ago, someone linked to a website that they claimed reveals the prep and cooking process for every Golden Corral menu item, including the mashed potatoes. It shows that the mashed potatoes arrive at restaurants already made in five-pound refrigerated or frozen pouches; all the employees have to do is steam them until hot and serve. 

While Golden Corral's classic mashed potatoes are not scratch-made in-restaurant (and neither, therefore, are any iterations, like the garlic or garlic cheddar), it does raise the question as to whether there are any actual, real spuds hanging around the kitchen. We're happy to report that yes, there are quite a few potato dishes that are made on-site according to the database linked on Reddit. The Ranch Potatoes, for example, are made from cubed Russets that get steamed before getting tossed with a butter-flavored cooking oil and a ranch dressing seasoning mix, then baked until the outside is crisp, while the inside is still soft. Another potato menu item made from real spuds in the Golden Corral kitchen is the Smokey Cheese Potato Bake. This dish is made from quartered Red Bliss potatoes, shredded cheddar cheese, bacon bits, diced peppers, and a prepared cheese sauce.

Like the mashed potatoes, though, there are a few tuber-based sides that arrive mostly pre-assembled, like the tater tots, or the seasoned potato wedges, which are also a freezer product. In these cases, they are tossed in the fryer until cooked through, then they get a hit of a special Golden Corral seasoning.