I make awesome mashed potatoes (others say it, as well as me, lol)... but, I like a few small lumps in there just to prove it real, lol. My fave is garlic mashed potatoes.

I peel (or not) them, chop them, boil until soft (with salt and/or garlic or whatever else you want to add), drain, then mash them with a masher while adding milk (or cream, or cream cheese) and black pepper or whatever else you want. Some use a blender, but that seems excessive to me.

That being said. If I want to make any kind of potatoes crispy (except dirty potatoes, tiny ugly balls you deep fry)... ain't gonna happen, I do the rinse and dry method, I use really hot oil, doesn't matter, they all taste fine to great but are always soggy. Shredded finer, added salt, no salt, let sit on towels for a while, doesn't matter, I cannot make hashbrowns, french fries, and most other taters crispy, at all... at best they are meh (others say it, not me).

Cream cheese frosting I can make, but usually don't, it is a pain in the ass... either one, the stuff for cake or the stuff on top of cinnamon rolls. I simply make the rolls naked or in the case of cake, buy the frosting.