Welcome back to Thanksgiving Week – Day Four
I have to admit that I never made home-made mashed potatoes until after I turned 40. Someone was always there to make it while I concentrated on the other dishes. Even when it wasn’t a Thanksgiving dinner, potatoes were baked, roasted or fried and when they were mashed, they were typically the instant potato flakes.
This dinner I wanted to make them from scratch…myself.
Many of you might not think mashed potatoes are worthy of a post here, but for the less experienced cooks out there, this one is for you.
I love the taste of Yukon Gold potatoes. You don’t get the snow white mashed potatoes, but I think this looks even better.
How many potatoes per person? I over estimated. (Yea! Lots of left overs!) generally 1 potato per person is correct.
Perfect Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients:
- 9 lbs Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and quartered length-wise
- 3 teaspoon salt
- 24 Tbsp heavy cream
- 12 Tbsp butter
- 6 Tbsp milk
- Salt and Pepper
Directions:
1 Put potatoes into a saucepan. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add water until potatoes are covered. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, 15-20 minutes, or until done – a fork can easily be poked through them.
2 Warm cream and melt butter, together, either in microwave or in a pan on the stove. Drain water from potatoes. Put hot potatoes into a bowl. Add cream and melted butter. Use potato masher to mash potatoes until well mashed. Use a strong spoon to beat further, adding milk to achieve the consistency you desire. (Do not over-beat or your potatoes will get gluey.) Salt and pepper to taste.
Yield: Serves 4.
Source: http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/perfect_mashed_potatoes/
Rantings of an Amateur Chef 
I’ve been waiting for this! Yehey! 🙂
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I never use cream or butter. I never understood the use of fattening cream. I can get light, fluffy, wonderful mashed potatoes without out it. People can put the butter on as they wish or use gravy. But not both. Butter and then gravy? That’s just weird to me. But I do use milk to get the consistancy. It doesn’t take much. One or two tablespoons is all I ever needed for about 5 potatoes. I’ve always just used a good hand masher and I’ve never needed to use a mixer like I see some people doing. Of course, I’m from Idaho and we take our mashed potatoes seriously. I moved to Omaha and can’t find good potatoes when eating out. Many places go with the theory that they have to leave it all lumpy to prove it is real. But back home, lumps were the sign of a lazy cook.
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Everything is better with real butter. By the way I love the reminders of great Thanksgiving feasts. It’s grilling season!
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I’ve enjoyed these posts this week. I don’t know when I’ll get to make a Thanksgiving dinner, but I’ll be referring back when the time comes. Hmmm…I suppose it could work for Christmas…
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I love the Yukon Gold … it looks like they have way more butter added than there really is 🙂 Also …. I like chopped scallion or even finely chopped raw white onion added just after you have mashed…
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Yukon Golds are the best for mashed potatoes! I like to use evaporated milk in mine…
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Mmmmm I luvvvv mashed potatoes. Especially at Thansgiving, because that is basically the only time I make them and Christmas! LOL! I use Carnation Milk rather than the heavy cream, it’s a lighter version and just as tasty. 😀
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mmm, mashed potatoes, always a good decision.
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Sounds like a great version!! And if there’s left overs, you can make good old British bubble and squeak!!! Yummmm 🙂
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Mark McEwan (top Cdn chef) is on record as saying that mashed potatoes are his “test dish” when hiring new kitchen staff — easy to do, hard to do well!
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Mash is a frequent visitor to our table! It is the classic accompaniment to sausages… bangers and mash! I love it with nutmeg… have you come across the Irish dish champ? That is a glorious celebration of mashed potato!
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There is nothing quite like a good buttery peppery mash! Our grandson, who ‘hates’ potatoes will eat his Grandad’s mash and asks for more! At 3 years old he doesn’t know that mash IS potato! 🙂
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I read your post everyday, but I’m very confused. Why are we having Thanksgiving now? Not that we shouldn’t always be Thankful…but, sigh. I think I’ll go make mashed potatoes now. = )
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I couldn’t tell you when I first made homemade mashed potatoes (not from flakes)–probably sometime after college–but Yukon golds are definitely my favorite for taste and texture. And I really like the golden hue better than snow-white potatoes, anyway. 🙂
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I’ve never liked pre-made mashed potatoes … always felt they tasted too artificial.
So my first try to make mashed potatoes (a long time ago when I was a teenager 🙂 ), was just to boil cubes of peeled potatoes till they are soft and just added butter while mashing them up with a fork and spoon. I think they were waxy potatoes, not starchy ones like Yukon Gold, but I remember them turning out quite okay.
These days, I would use starchy potatoes (usually Russets), along with a bit of milk, some unsalted butter and salt and pepper to taste. I still use a fork and spoon to mash my potatoes. 🙂
Cheers!
Aldrin
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