Thanksgiving mashed potatoes
Mashed potatoes with a magic touch
Perhaps I’m going to out-Midwestmyself when I say that these potatoes are a major part of why I look forward to Thanksgiving each year. Mymomhas always been committed to cooking this glorious, rich side dish only once a year, thanks to the heaps of butter, sour cream and cream cheese folded in. As kids, my sister and I would race to peel our bags of potatoes, and then eagerly await the moment when we’d be called upon as taste testers to sample the result.
Whilemymomhas spent years trying to replicate her grandmother’s chicken paprikash, she told me recently that her Thanksgiving mashed potatoes originated from aMartha Stewart recipe. She has tweaked it over the years, adapting it for larger and larger holidays as our family expands, and given me the recipe— although her pink 4x6 index card contains only ingredients, no steps. Luckily, it’s a fairly simple process, and she’s only a call away. In the couple of times I’ve made these mashed potatoes, they’ve never quite had the same magic touch that only mothers know. Maybe in a few years I’ll have it down pat.
— Ariel Cheung
Prep: 35 minutes 1 head garlic 2 teaspoons olive oil
10 pounds Idaho or russet potatoes
Bake: 20-30 minutes
Makes: 8-10 servings
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
8 ounces cream cheese 8 ounces sour cream
2 to 2½ teaspoons salt, to taste
2 teaspoons pepper
1. In a large stock pot or Dutch oven, boil 6 quarts water, or enough to cover potatoes.
2. Meanwhile, heat your oven to 375 degrees. Chop off the top ½ inch of a head of garlic before wrapping in aluminum foil. Drizzle the olive oil over the garlic cloves, close the bundle of foil, and roast in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until garlic is fragrant, golden and soft. Remove and let cool. Remove the cloves out of the skins by squeezing them through the cut ends with your fingers.
3. Peel potatoes and dice into ¾- to 1-inch cubes. Add to boiling water, allowing the water to return to boiling before lowering to a simmer for about 15 minutes.
4. Once potatoes give easily when poked with a fork, drain in a colander. Let cool for 10 minutes, or until potatoes can be easily handled.
5. Using a potato ricer, shred diced potatoes for lightest, fluffiest results. If you don’t have a ricer, a pastry blender or fork can be used to mash them.
6. Using either the rinsed-out stock pot or Dutch oven, or a slow cooker for easy transport and serving, add butter (use the ricer again for easier blending), cream cheese, sour cream and garlic.
7. Add riced potatoes and mix, gently heating the combined mixture over the stovetop or in your slow cooker. Potatoes can stay in the slow cooker on low heat for several hours. Serve with gravy, an extra pat of butter and additional salt and pepper to taste.
Nutrition information per serving: 669 calories, 31 g fat, 19 g saturated fat, 87 mg cholesterol, 90 g carbohydrates, 5 g sugar, 10 g protein, 595 mg sodium, 8 g fiber