Mashed Potatoes

Today we are going to make something to go along with the Honey Baked Ham we made yesterday. Potatoes are the official taste tester's favorite side dish... He could eat them in any way, shape, or form, so needless to say, we have potatoes frequently. Most people use potatoes from a box which KILLS me because they are SO easy to make yourself. I actually had one guy tell me he liked boxed potatoes better than real potatoes... until he tasted these. I guess he just didn't know what he was missing until I converted him. :) I have to admit, peeling a potato is difficult at first (you may peel off more potato than you have left) but after one mangled potato you should be fine :)

Ingredients:
5 Russet potatoes (medium-large sized)
3 Tbsp. butter
1/2-1 cup milk
1 tsp. salt

To start off, peel the skin off of your potatoes (this is more easily done if you wet the potato before peeling), rinse your potato off, and then cut into 1 inch pieces. This doesn't have to be exact, just try to make your potato pieces relatively the same size. Once you have your potatoes peeled, put them in a pan and cover in water. Here is what my potatoes look like at this point:

 

Bring your potatoes to a boil and boil on medium high for 20 minutes. My stove goes up to 9 and I usually boil them on 7. Once your potatoes are done, pour all the excess water off. Next, beat your potatoes with a hand mixer until smooth. This is an important step because if you don't get all them lumps out here, your potatoes will be lumpy! It usually takes me 1-2 minutes to get all the lumps out on medium beating speed. Here is what my potatoes looked like when smooth:

 

 

Once your potatoes are smooth, add in your butter and allow it to melt. Once your butter has melted, beat your potatoes again to incorporate the butter. Next add in your milk. I would start with 1/2 cup and then add in the rest gradually until the potatoes get to the consistency you prefer. I usually don't use the whole cup of milk but I get close. Also, the longer potatoes sit, the thicker they get, so if you aren't planning on serving your potatoes right away, make them a little more runny on purpose. This will ensure they are still soft when you serve them.

 

Once your potatoes are at the perfect consistency, add in your salt. You may need to add in more if you love salt. I usually just do the taste test method to decide. Here is what your potatoes should look like when they are finished:

 

 

MMMMMMM nice and creamy. Once you get the original recipe down, you can try different variations such as adding in garlic for Garlic Mashed Potatoes!

 

Happy Cooking

& Enjoy!