Starting with just a teaspoon, you can customize with options like tamari or coconut aminos for dietary needs, creating a new go-to cooking hack.

I've made more times than I can count, and I've always considered them one of those "you can't mess this up" recipes. Just add butter, milk, salt, pepper -- done. But after years of making them the same way, I realized they could use...something. Not more butter (though that's never a bad idea) and not (delicious, but predictable). I wanted a boost of flavor that wouldn't change the texture or turn my beloved mashed potatoes into a totally different dish.

The answer found me one night while I was scrolling through Instagram. A recipe developer I follow was casually making mashed potatoes on her live stories when I saw her add a splash of soy sauce right into the pot. She didn't make a big deal out of it -- just poured, stirred, and kept going -- but I was instantly intrigued. I'd never thought to season potatoes with anything beyond salt, but soy sauce? That felt bold and a bit odd, if I'm being honest.

Nevertheless, I had to try it. The next time I made mashed potatoes, I swapped part of the salt for a teaspoon (or so) of soy sauce, mixing it in after mashing my spuds. I was not expecting to be so blown away. The soy sauce didn't just make my mashed potatoes perfectly salty -- it made them wonderfully savory. Richer. More complex. It brought this deep, cozy warmth, the kind you get from a , but without the extra work.

It makes sense when you think about it: soy sauce is loaded with -- that hard-to-describe but completely craveable "fifth taste" that makes everything more satisfying. In mashed potatoes, it blends seamlessly with the butter and creamy texture of the potatoes, adding a little extra depth without stealing the spotlight.

Now it's my go-to move, whether I'm making potatoes for , a meatloaf dinner, or just a midweek comfort meal. I start small -- about a teaspoon for a medium pot, tasting as I go. If I want to get fancy, I'll try for a gluten-free option, or coconut aminos if I want to skip the soy altogether.

This is such a small tweak, but it's one of those game-changing additions that gets people talking (in a good way.) Now, it's one of my favorite new , and it works so well I don't think I'll need to make (or buy) gravy ever again.