
Thanksgiving is only 1 week away! I think it’s time we start our preparations, don’t you?

Let’s talk mashed potatoes. What’s a Thanksgiving feast without them? I thought I would share my various mashed potato recipes with you…some of them can do the twist, some of them like to keep it straight. Whatever your taste, one of these options should tickle your potato fancy!
All of these recipes use russet potatoes. To cook, cut into similar sized chunks about 2 inch-square, place in cold water, boil over medium/medium-high heat until soft enough to mash, then drain the water. For all of these recipes don’t be shy with the salt! That said, add a little at a time so you don’t oversalt your potatoes…but adding enough salt is key to successful mashed potatoes.
Classic Mashed Potatoes: For my classic fluffy mashed potatoes I use cream (milk can work if that’s all you have), butter, salt & pepper. Peel the potatoes before cutting up. Cook as described above. Warm the cream and butter prior to adding to the potatoes. Add cream a bit at a time to achieve the right consistency, as well as butter (4 Tbsp per 2 large potatoes), and salt & pepper to taste. Blend well with hand mixer.
Dirty Garlic Mashed Potatoes (pictured): Same recipe as the Classic, but don’t peel the potatoes and add some garlic cloves when you start mashing. For 2 large potatoes I added 2 garlic cloves, using my garlic press.
BLT (Bacon, Leek, Tomato) Mashed Potatoes: This is an idea from Rachel Ray and they’re yummy. Chop up some bacon and cook on the stove, then sautee in some chopped leeks with the bacon. When mashing the potatoes, add the bacon, leeks & some chopped tomato as well as milk or cream, salt & pepper. Hand mash with a potato masher instead of with a hand mixer.
Butternut Squash Mashed Potatoes: Cate and I sampled butternut squash mashed potatoes at Williams-Sonoma last week and Cate loved them! They also are a nice complement to a traditional Thanksgiving meal. Simply make classic mashed potatoes and add a bit of the Williams-Sonoma butternut squash puree. If you want to make your own puree, the ingredients are squash, brown sugar, broth, cinnamon and nutmeg…I have no idea the amounts since I just read the ingredients off the jar!
I know these recipes aren’t very exact. I never measure when I make mashed potatoes, but if you have any questions please let me know!
Also, if you have your own mashed potato tips or another recipe to share, please do!