Whenever a mashed potatoe recipe is to be held pending guest arrival or serving large groups, I "save the water in which potatoes" are cooked & then add potatoe water as needed in order for the potatoes to keep soft & fluffy or not dried out.

Adding COCONUT (did not measure) enhanced flavors of this recipe & seemed to make more moist.

Rated 5 Star on wonderful taste & approval of 2 different groups for whom prepared. Large quantity (9x13 dish)& only deviation from recipe was Velveeta Cheese plus added a bit more frozen broccoli. As to Salt - be careful as the soups were loaded with salt. NOTE: Last 5 minutes of cooking, I "sprinkled" grated mild cheddar cheese on top. Next time I will add pimento within for color! Only downside (I do have a dishwasher) is all of the clean-up, so this is not a recipe one makes & quickly exits the kitchen: pot for rice, skillet for sauteeing celery/onions, pot for broccoli, pot for soup/cheese plus large pot/bowl for stirring. SHORTCUT EXISTS: - saute in a large pot, add soup/cheese to melt. Then add rice & broccoli to this same large pot. Ease in clean-up truly counts whenever time is short!

Adding a couple of carrots enhances both texture and color. As carrots do take longer to cook, I cut the carrot into quarters (lengthwise), then chopped into 3/4" slices. Note: Only other exception made to the recipe is I used a previously cooked pork roast, diced and prepared as directed & then deep fryed a couple of minutes. In future I may use same recipe for either chicken and left-over ham. Excellent sauce recipe!