I experiment with the ingredients each time I make these mashed potatoes (or as we like to call them, “smashed taters”) but pretty much stick to these staples:
Ingredients:
-Yukon Gold Potatoes (this year I used mini versions which made the potatoes extra fluffy — takes a lot of time, but it works!).
-2% or whole milk (buttermilk is optional—if using cream cheese, it’s not necessary)
-1/2 package of cream cheese or 1 8 ounce carton of sour cream
-3-5 cloves of garlic
-Salt & pepper, to taste
-A bit of freshly grated nutmeg
1. Pre-heat the oven (or use a toaster oven) to 350.
2. Scrub the potatoes and cut off any icky or ugly parts, leaving the skin on the potatoes. Cut into large pieces.
3. Put the potatoes in a large pot and cover completely with water. Bring water to a boil. Cook, covered, for 20-30 minutes (depending on how large the potatoes). Some recipes say to add salt. If you want to, go for it.
3. While the potatoes are cooking, put 3-5 cloves of garlic (depending on how many potatoes you are using/how big this dish will be) in the middle of a big piece of tin foil. (Do NOT peal the garlic cloves yet!). Drizzle a small amount of olive oil over the cloves, make a tent to cover them completely, and roast the cloves in the oven for 10-15 minutes.
4. Once the potatoes are soft, drain the water, let them cool a bit, then peel off the skin (yes, by hand unless you want to lose a lot of the potato – this takes a while but it ensures your potatoes will have a lot of flavor AND nutrients).
5. Put the peeled potatoes in a large mixing bowl. Remove the garlic cloves from the tin foil (make sure it has cooled) and grabbing by the tips, squeeze the garlic out of it’s peel and onto the potatoes.
6. Using an electric mixer, add milk OR buttermilk and sour cream OR cream cheese, butter (to taste), salt & pepper (to taste), freshly grated nutmeg (about 1/2 to 1 tsp) little by little to the potatoes and garlic. Add milk if potatoes are too thick.
NOTE: To freshen up day old mashed potatoes, put them back in a mixing bowl and add some milk. They’ll get fluffy again!
