Mashed potatoes are a staple at the Thanksgiving dinner table. Well, I take that back. Potatoes are a staple at the Thanksgiving dinner table. I am actually rather biased against plain old mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving. I like mashed potatoes, love them as a matter of fact, but I just feel like for such an extravagant meal, you could do better than smashed up roots. With that said, here are my offerings for perfect mashed potatoes, and some other dressed up versions.
Perfect Mashed Potatoes
You will need:
10-12 mashed potatoes
½ to 1 stick of butter
¼ cup of milk
Directions:
Place potatoes in a large pot. Cover with water. Bring to a boil and let the potatoes boil until they are soft. About 15 to 20 minutes after the water is at a full boil. Put the full pot under cold running water. If you want to peel them, you can do this almost immediately, by handling the potatoes under cold running water. Drain the potatoes and add the butter. It will be easier if you let the butter mostly melt. Using a potato masher, mash the potatoes thoroughly. Add milk to obtain the desired consistentcy. Tip: For creamy mashed potatoes, use an electric egg beater after you mash them.
Variation: For loaded mashed potatoes, don’t peel the potatoes. Add cheddar cheese and sour cream, and crumbled bacon. Mash the potatoes but purposely leave some lumps. Add milk to obtain desired consistency. (You will add less than ¼ cup of milk.)
Mashed Potatoes with Roasted Garlic and Rosemary
Sweet and savory describes this dish. Roasting the garlic before using it brings out a fuller more robust garlic flavor.
You will need:
2 whole garlic heads
2 pounds cubed peeled Yukon gold potato
1 cup onion, chopped
2 tablespoons plain fat-free yogurt
1 teaspoon dried rosemary, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Remove white papery skin from garlic heads (do not peel or separate the cloves). Wrap each head separately in foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour; cool 10 minutes. Separate cloves; squeeze to extract garlic pulp. Discard skins.
Place potato and onion in a saucepan; cover with water, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until potato is tender. Drain in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid. Combine garlic, potato mixture, 1/4 cup cooking liquid, and remaining ingredients; mash with a potato masher.
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