Stephanie's Mashed Potatoes

Stephanie, Jorge and Memo at 2 years old in Vero Beach.

I have always loved mashed potatoes. Comfort foods begin with mashed potatoes! What would pot roast, meatloaf and stew be without mashed potatoes! And ever since my lap band surgery in 2003, I eat mashed potatoes daily to help "push" my meats and vegetables through my lap band. I now make them once a week - usually on the weekend and have them available all week!


Stephanie's Mashed Potatoes:
5 lbs potatoes - Yukon, Idaho, Red Potatoes
Kosher salt
1 stick of butter
1 cup of Cream, Half&Half or milk

Peel the potatoes - I have to peel them as the skins get stuck in my lap band! You can leave them on as they do have nutrients. Slice the potatoes evenly and place into a large pot with COLD water and cook at med-hi temperature. I cook these for about 35 minutes those at sea level only need to cook for 20-25 minutes. Poke with a fork when the timer goes off and if the potato flakes they are is cooked. Drain out water and set back onto the stove which has been turned off. Add butter which will melt as the extra water evaporates. Take a paring knife and go around the pot cutting up the slices into small pieces. Microwave the cream until hot. Using an electric mixer, beat the potatoes slowly incorporating the melted butter and the heated cream until fluffy.
I serve these hot and then refrigerate the remainder for the rest of the week.

Variations:

• Seasonings:
• Mrs. Dash
• Herb De Provence - I use my herb grinder to make this course herb finer. (Actually a coffee grinder NOT used for coffee!)
• Garlic - minced from a bottle or fresh. 
• Roasted Garlic - Cut a garlic ball at the top and place into foil. Heat oven to 400* and cook at the same time as you are cooking the potatoes - 35 mins. Then squeeze the roasted garlic into the potatoes with 1/2 the butter and the same amount of cream. 
• Horseradish - Add 1 tbsp. with the butter and whip

• Creams:
• Sour Cream - 1 container instead of butter and cream
• Seasoned Cream Cheese - 1 container omit the butter and cream

• Vegetables: 
• Carrots - cook baby carrots in a separate pot with salt for the same time as the potatoes. Drain and then cut up the carrots and set aside.  Add butter and cream then whip the potatoes. Just before finishing, add the chopped carrots and beat for 30 seconds to integrate into the potatoes. 
• Sweet Potatoes - Peel and dice and cook for about 30 minutes, drain and set aside. Cook potatoes and add sweet potatoes then the butter. Smash the sweet potatoes with the regular potatoes.
• Spinach or Swiss Chard - Wash, clean or rinse fresh vegetable. Chop into small pieces and leave draining in colander. Prepare the mashed potatoes and at the very end, fold in the vegetable into the potato mixture.
• Rutabaga, Turnips, celery root, sweet potatoes and any other root vegetables - Cook in salted water, rutabaga needs to be sliced thinner as it is harder and needs to cook with the remaining vegetables. Test by poking each different vegetable with a fork. Drain and then place back on stove to evaporate the water, add the butter and cut into small pieces the vegetables. Then using a potato masher, smash the vegetable while adding the hot cream. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

I love mashed/smashed potatoes and continue to look for new ways to eat them. Please send me your recipe with your variation. Enjoying comfort foods!