Thursday, September 24, 2009

Let's Talk Potatoes

Because it's always a good day to talk about potatoes.

We will be having guests for dinner tonight, and on the menu will be mashed potatoes. Not just mashed potatoes, of course, although I would certainly not object to a 100% potato-based meal personally, but the mashed potatoes are the pertinent item to today's Audience Participation Day topic.

Yes! It's A.P.D. again! YAY! I'm not overusing this particular device, am I? Nah.

So. Mashed potatoes come in many guises. Some people stick to the straight butter and milk. Some add cream cheese, some use garlic, some add cheese, bacon bits, onions, and God knows what else. Personally, I like butter, milk, and sour cream. The sour cream adds a nice tang.

But this is not about me and my potatoes! No! This about YOU and YOUR foolproof, tried and true, absolutely delicious mashed potato method. So tell me, poppets: What goes into your beaten tubers?

24 comments:

Mayberry Magpie said...

Butter, heavy creme, garlic powder. Simple, wonderful, satisfying.

Please, please, PLEASE don't anybody tell me they use chicken broth.

Oh, and if you've never tried it, mashed cauliflower is just as good as potatoes. Promise! Just use butter, heavy creme and garlic powder.

Anke said...

Butter, milk and lots of freshly grated nutmeg. LOVE IT!

Pat said...

For real creamy potatoes, my mother always recommended that you beat the potatoes first, before adding any liquid to them. And she was a great cook, so she ought to know! Then I add some cream, melted butter, and salt. I have used sour cream, too. Yumm!

Oh, BTW, I've had mashed cauliflower when my husband and I were on the Atkins diet. It did taste just like mashed potatoes, but I do think there was some chicken broth involved. (He made them.)

Stephanie Z said...

Lots of Buttah, sour cream. Salt, Pepper and garlic powder. And I leave the skin on my tubers.. I mash them till they are creamy. Ohhh now I want some!

Anonymous said...

I am boring here..butter, milk, salt. Hubby isn't very adventurous in the food dept. I do have a tip though to make them better...after you drain them , put the pan back on the heat to dry the potatoes out before mashing. Sometimes when we have leftover ones we do put on some bacon ,butter, cheese and I do sour cream...hubby says bluck to sour cream.

Marcy said...

Buttermilk & lots of pepper.

Aunt Krissy said...

I boil the potatoes with a few cloves of garlic(or lots of garlic ) and then when done, drain and dry, mash them together with sour cream, butter and milk. Sometimes I will put some ranch dressing when I mash them.

CountryMidwife said...

I think mashed potatoes taste like baby food! So I make what I call a "mashed potato" salad instead. Cook taters, skin on. Chop into little bits and mash just a little bit so it's still chunky. Add butter, some milk or cream, and some plain yogurt. Not trying to be healthy with the yogurt over sour cream... just like the extra tang! Sometimes bacon bits and scallions.

Phoo-D said...

I actually enjoy combining mashed potatoes and mashed turnips together to tweak the flavor just a touch. Butter, cream, chives, bacon, cracked black pepper, the rest is just frosting on top!

Anonymous said...

I have no recipes for "smashed" potatoes, as my husband calls them. But I did crack up the MiL once when, during the time I was living alone, I told her that I intended to "mash A Potato for dinner." Just one. How pathetic.

Kathleen said...

I do the butter with a little less milk and add ranch dressing - not the cheapy stuff...Hidden Valley, the real stuff. And then mash and whip the doo-doo out of them. Yummy!

jean said...

I just made some last night for my son. He just got braces and he can't eat much yet. I used lots of butter, heavy cream, sour cream, salt, and pepper. Then I topped it with gravy. They were delicious.

nanacoon said...

Lots of roasted garlic mashed in with the potatoes. Bonnie

Beth said...

I boil potatoes (skin on) and garlic. When done I add sour cream, cheddar cheese, bacon, cream cheese, butter, salt and pepper. And sometimes I'll add the powdered ranch dressing mix. I'm making these tomorrow w/steaks on the grill.

FinnyKnits said...

Oh mashed potatoes, how much do I love thee? Let me count the ways...OK, I won't do that here, but you get my drift.

When I make Christmas Mashed Potatoes (read: The Good Kind, per Bubba) I use cream cheese.

And butter, salt and fresh ground pepper.

With a yellow potato, like Yukon gold, etc.

NOMNOMNOM

And if I ever see hard boiled egg in mashed potatoes, that person is dead to me.

Susan said...

I don't honestly care. Have never met a mashed potato I didn't like.

rls said...

Hard boiled egg IN mashed potatoes? People would seriously do that?

Tara_LB said...

Do you know what you've done? Because of your post I started thinking about my favourite mashed potatos, and now I simply HAVE to go home and make them. I hope you're happy.

Take 1 potato per person. rub with oil and salt and pop into a hot oven for 1 hour (or until they are cooked through). Remove and allow to cool a bit. Cut them in half lengthwise and scoop out the flesh leaving behind the skin as a 'shell'. Mash the flesh in a bowl with butter, sour creme, mustard powder and grated chedder/gouda/whatever (all to taste). Mash well and scoop back into the shells. Sprinkly with some more cheese (no such thing as too much cheese). Bake again till the cheese has melted. I ususally sprinkle some finely chopped chives/shallots over them just before serving. YUM.

Otherwise if I'm not going all out-then I simple microwave teh potatos, skin and all, and mash them up with some milk, butter and a dash of salt. I will try the garlic powder thing though....

Tara_LB said...

Oh PS. you have to bake them in the oven. The heat and the salt helps to keep the skins dry and frim while they cook. Microwaving them just doesn't work (I've tried). They also work well if you've done them in foil in the coals of a fire.

Thomas said...

Personally, I've always enjoyed butter, milk, ricotta cheese and a hint of nutmeg. Very delicious!

Kay said...

I'm sure your dinner went off beautifully. For us, Yukon Gold potatoes, real butter (a whole stick), 2% milk if dh is aware of the proceedings--1/2n1/2 if I'm alone with the potatoes, and preferable the strong arm of my farmer to do the mashing. I stand by and coo encouraging words to him so he'll do it again next time. lol

Daisy said...

We like ours with sour cream and chives. Husband makes a great rootmash: potatoes, carrots, leek, turnip, parsnip...oh, yes, and onions. All mashed, and all delicious.

Coll said...

Beat the heck out of boiled potatoes until silky then add fat of choice, garlic (powder or minced fresh), and onion powder. No Milk!

Anonymous said...

Something different... a new recipe from a healthy-eating friend that my kids liked!

Yolanda's Crazy Green Potatoes
(the result is green from the broccoli)

in a large pot, boil:
8-10 red potatoes, with skins
when tender add:
Cauliflower (about 2-3 C)
when tender, add:
Broccoli (about 2-3 C)
when the broccoli is tender, drain, add half a stick of butter or butter-substitute, and mash away. Salt and Pepper to taste. The second time I made them I added some parmesan cheese, about 1/4 to 1/2 a cup.

The six yr old had seconds.