Thanksgiving...Pass the Mashed Potatoes Please!

In my family, one of the most important dishes to be set on the Thanksgiving table is the mashed potatoes and the gravy. I cannot tell you how many potatoes we go through at family gatherings like this, every holiday calls for mashed potatoes. It is one of those dishes that is so easy and makes any meal feel special.

First off, the kind of potato you cook really matters. I never would have thought that, even 10 years ago, but thanks to the Internet, TV cooking shows and cookbooks, a whole new world has been opened up to me. I have always loved potatoes, but never dreamed that the "kind" mattered.

There are so many wonderful varieties of potatoes to choose from. The favorite at my house for special occasions has got to be the Yukon Gold. They are so rich looking when mashed, golden yellow and so creamy! Is your mouth watering yet? I think mine is.

Yukon Gold potatoes cook up wonderfully and the flavor is perfect with any gravy you can top it with. If you want to find out more about the history of the Yukon Gold potato, there is some really interesting information out there if you are into that sort of thing. I know, I am a bit odd, but I love to know more about the foods that I love.

Another wonderful potato to choose for your Thanksgiving feast is the russet. This is the potato that most of us grew up with. Wonderful flavor and what most of us think of when we think "mashed potatoes." They are high in starch and low in moisture so they make really great, fluffy mashed potatoes.

To peel or not to peel...that can often be the question. Most of the year, in my house, we do not peel our potatoes. For some reason though, a holiday calls for a bit more "love" in our cooking, so I will usually peel them. Whatever your family prefers is perfectly OK. I honestly do not mind the peels in my mashed potatoes, my husband prefers them that way, even on a holiday. What a guy!

Once you have your potatoes in their desired state for cooking, get them boiling. I generally cut mine into quarters and cover them with water, salt the water and boil them until they are tender. After I drain them, I will often set them on the burner I just took them off of, with it on low. I then put a clean dish towel on top of the potatoes and let them "steam" a bit. This gets all of the last of the liquid out of them and you will end up with even fluffier mashed potatoes. Just a little tip I learned from watching cooking shows. You want to watch them though, as soon as the moisture is gone from the potatoes, turn off the burner.

Now, you have chosen your potato and cooked it, now what? What will you put into your potatoes when you mash them. They need something added to bring out the wonderful, creamy flavor we are all looking for in our mashed potatoes, right?

In my kitchen, for years, all I used was milk, butter and salt. It was good, but I tend to "play with my food" from time to time and I found something that worked even better. Actually, a couple of somethings. Talk about some yummy mashed potatoes!

First option was to cut back on the milk and add sour cream. I still use butter, in my book that is a must and my family tends to agree. The sour cream brought the best part of a baked potato to my mashed potatoes. I love that flavor combination, it just works! Be careful when buying and using sour cream, make sure you read your labels. Some sour cream does contain gluten. Why? I have no idea, but do be careful!

Another option is to cut way back on the butter, like half as much as you normally would add, and leave the milk out entirely. I know, you are thinking I've lost my mind, how can you make a wonderful mashed potato without milk of all things? Trust me, this is good! I use buttermilk in place of the milk. The flavor does not change a lot, just a slight tangy flavor is there, but the richness and creaminess it brings is wonderful. It also cuts down on the fat in your mashed potatoes, if you even believe that Thanksgiving dinner contains any fat to begin with. I personally believe that holidays are naturally fat free!

Now, if I'm not making gravy, (and even sometimes if I am and want lots of flavor) I'll add some dried chives, onion powder, garlic or even roasted garlic to my mashed potatoes. I've even caramelized some chopped, sweet onions and added them to the party. Hungry yet?

Why mashed potatoes tend to be saved for a special occasion is amazing to me sometimes. I often have to remind myself that they are not as hard as they seem. It is easy to cook up a pot of potatoes while something else is cooking. Mashing is an easy job if you have a hand mixer. I very rarely use a potato masher. I honestly do not even own one that I use very often, or enjoy using. I use it more for berries and such than potatoes. A hand held mixer does a wonderful job.

For some of you, the idea of lumps in your mashed potatoes is appalling. If that is you, there are some easy tricks to avoid this dreaded miss-hap. First of all, make sure that all of your potatoes are fully cooked before draining off the water. A bit of undercooked potato will never mash no matter how hard you try. Second, if you feel you will not be able to get all of the lumps out with your masher or mixer, rice your potatoes first.

WHAT did she say?

Yes, if you want lump free potatoes, guaranteed, use a ricer. I had one, I used it a few times, but ended up letting it go for lack of use. That being said, there are some that find perfectly creamy mashed potatoes, lump free, to be worth the effort.

A ricer looks much like an over-grown garlic press. You simply place your cooked potatoes into the ricer and clamp down and your potatoes come out looking like long strings of mashed up potatoes. You will then be able to whip up your potatoes quickly and easily.

Dream up your own flavor combination or just make them with milk and butter like grandma used to. Mashed potatoes are a big part of our family Thanksgiving meal and thankfully it is a very EASY part of the meal. Everyone loves mashed potatoes and gravy.