Mashed Potatoes: 10 Ways
No holiday is complete without mashed potatoes. This Easter, try a new way to make that tried and true standard to add a little excitement to your table.
Classic Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs russet, red or Yukon gold potatoes, diced into 1 inch cubes and rinsed (peel the potatoes or just wash them and dice them)
- 1 stick butter
- 1 cup warmed milk or cream
- Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
Method
Cover the potatoes with cold salted water. Bring to a boil and simmer 30-45 minutes. Do not overcook. The potatoes are just perfect when you can easily slide a knife through them. Drain the potatoes. Add the butter and warmed milk or cream, salt and pepper and either mash with a potato masher or whip with a hand-blender. I’d give you the number of people this serves, but I have to say, it could just as easily serve one as 8!
1. Where’s the Fat?: Make Classic Mashed but replace the butter with low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock and replace the milk with fat free greek yogurt.
2. Southwestern Mash: Make Classic Mashed, add ½ pound (8 ounces) grated Monterey Jack, ¼ cup sliced scallions and 2 minced seeded jalapeños. Top each service with a dollop of sour cream and more scallions and jalapeños.
3. Loaded: Cook ½ pound chopped bacon until crisp. Make Classic Mashed, but replace some of the butter with bacon drippings (2-4 tablespoons) and replace ½ the milk with sour cream (½ cup). Fold in bacon, 8 ounces grated sharp cheddar and ¼ cup each minced parsley and scallions.
4. Greek: Make Classic Mashed, add 8 ounces of crumbled feta, ¼ cup parsley, ¼ cup scallions, 1 ½ tablespoons of minced fresh oregano and ¼ cup minced kalamata olives
5. Roasted Garlic: Make Classic Mashed. Roast 1 whole bulb of garlic by slicing off the root end of the bulb, then securely wrap it in aluminum foil drizzled with olive oil. Roast garlic at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. The individual cloves will pop right out when you squeeze the bulb. Add the whole bulb of individual cloves to the mashed potatoes and mash them in
6. Horseradish: Make Classic Mashed, but use 1 cup of sour cream instead of milk. Mix in ¼ cup of freshly grated horseradish or prepared horseradish in a bottle and 1/3 cup minced chives.
7. Blue Cheese: Make Classic Mashed. Toast ½ cup chopped walnuts. Mix walnuts, 2 Tbls each chopped rosemary and parsley and ¼ teaspoon salt and a pinch of sugar into the potatoes. Crumble blue choose over the top.
8. Sweet Taters: No classic mashed in here at all! Roast 2 pounds of sweet potatoes at 400 degrees until tender (about 1 hour). Allow to cool slightly. Halve each potato and scoop out the flesh. Puree with 4 tablespoons butter and a pinch of sea salt.
9. Sweet Tater Pie: Make Sweet Taters and stir in ¼ cup pure maple syrup. Top with ¼ cup toasted pecans.
10. Sweet Tater Cider: Make Sweet Taters. While potatoes roast, simmer 2 apples that have been peeled, cored and chopped in ¼ cup apple cider with ½ teaspoon of cinnamon until soft. Puree with the potatoes.