It has been an interesting week, my morale has been at an all time low. My computer is being stupid, or rather some of the software is and I am seriously ready for a vacation. It's always times like these that you need some serious comfort food. No meals tonight, but something simple.
Homemade Mashed Potatoes (the best way) which will go on top of a bunch of veggies and stuff to make Shephard's Pie.
The key to amazing mashed potatoes is...
Nope not butter...
Nope not cream...
It's....
...
...
Potatoes!
See you would never have guessed! The type of potatoes you use will determine the wonderfullness of the taters.
Yukon Gold are my personal fave followed closely by red.
Russets are nasty. Stop buying them.
Yes, Yukon's are slightly more expensive but when you taste there natural yummy, creamy, melt in your mouth texture without the need for a bunch of extra stuff... You will be hooked. I promise.
Yes, I will pinky swear too.
So to start off, figure out how many people you are feeding. Most people (except my son) adore mashed potatoes so plan on 2 potatoes per person to chop into bits.
So for a family of 5=10 potatoes. add a couple more if you want leftovers to make potato cakes with later... mmmmmm potato cakes.
So...
10 potatoes, chopped into bits (they cook faster this way)
1 tbs butter
1/2-1c milk
salt and pepper
ginormous pot with salted water
Dump the taters you chopped into the water and cook at boiling until just fork tender. My stove has issues so it takes about 30 minutes. Yours may be fabulous and take 10. Just keep checking them every few minutes, 'cause you don't want them squishy.
While potatoes are cooking and getting all happy, pull out your frozen veggies. Generally I stick to corn, peas, green beans and carrots... maybe add some onion and green pepper.
1 onion
1/2 green pepper
all of the leftover bits and pieces of frozen veggie bags.
Get the onion and pepper happy in a skillet with a little olive oil. Oooooh! Throw in some mushrooms! That would be awesome!
MMMMMM Mushrooms!
Whip out a packet of french onion soup mix, or if you HAPPEN to have some leftover french onion soup from a meal, use that.
Heat it up in a pot, add some cornstarch.
Brown hamburger or veggie crumbles.
Dump all of the veggies, soupy stuff and burger bits into a 9x12 pan or a casserole dish. Casserole dishes work best, but use what you have.
By now potatoes are ready for smooshing.
Drain them. Please do not burn yourself.
Steam is hot. I know right? Amazing!
Pour 1/2c milk and 1 tbs butter into the pot the potatoes were in. Get the butter all melty and the milk nice n warm.
Why? Because I am telling you too and I am the boss right now!
No, really, because the cold of the milk and butter cause the happy starches of the taters to seize up and become gluey. We don't like gluey.
Pour the taters in.
Get out you smoosher.
NO! Do not use the hand blender! Geez!
Get out you great great grandmothers rusted, bent, mangled smoosher and smoosh.
The one with a long handle and funny looking holes or squiggles in the bottom.
Ya that thing. No it's not a branding iron.
*Sigh*
Ok, sorry, I will get the pictures in, I promise...Computer... Stupid...remember?
Squish taters until nice and creamy. If they are being uncooperative, add a little more milk and keep going. They will become creamy without electronic devices, trust me.
Conserve energy and all that.
With a spoon, put taters on top of soupy stuff. Do not push it down or try to spread it. This does not work.
Throw the...
Stop eating the potatoes. You need them for...
I said stop it.
See I told ya so.
Would you put the darn pan in the oven please, before they are all gone...?
Ok. Good. 350. 15-20mins or until warm.
Add cheddar cheese on top. Shredded of course. (Although squishy plastic cheese is good too)
When nice and warm pull out of oven and serve. If ya want to get all fancy, chop some green onions to throw over the top and nuke some rolls or bring out the bread so you can sop up all that soupy goodness.
Or heck, serve it over the bread. I won't tell.
Simple, easy and relatively fast.
Maybe tomorrow I will tell you my secret potato pancake recipe... 'cause it's really yummy with scrambled eggs and bacon....
Mmmmm bacon.
Homemade Mashed Potatoes (the best way) which will go on top of a bunch of veggies and stuff to make Shephard's Pie.
The key to amazing mashed potatoes is...
Nope not butter...
Nope not cream...
It's....
...
...
Potatoes!
See you would never have guessed! The type of potatoes you use will determine the wonderfullness of the taters.
Yukon Gold are my personal fave followed closely by red.
Russets are nasty. Stop buying them.
Yes, Yukon's are slightly more expensive but when you taste there natural yummy, creamy, melt in your mouth texture without the need for a bunch of extra stuff... You will be hooked. I promise.
Yes, I will pinky swear too.
So to start off, figure out how many people you are feeding. Most people (except my son) adore mashed potatoes so plan on 2 potatoes per person to chop into bits.
So for a family of 5=10 potatoes. add a couple more if you want leftovers to make potato cakes with later... mmmmmm potato cakes.
So...
10 potatoes, chopped into bits (they cook faster this way)
1 tbs butter
1/2-1c milk
salt and pepper
ginormous pot with salted water
Dump the taters you chopped into the water and cook at boiling until just fork tender. My stove has issues so it takes about 30 minutes. Yours may be fabulous and take 10. Just keep checking them every few minutes, 'cause you don't want them squishy.
While potatoes are cooking and getting all happy, pull out your frozen veggies. Generally I stick to corn, peas, green beans and carrots... maybe add some onion and green pepper.
1 onion
1/2 green pepper
all of the leftover bits and pieces of frozen veggie bags.
Get the onion and pepper happy in a skillet with a little olive oil. Oooooh! Throw in some mushrooms! That would be awesome!
MMMMMM Mushrooms!
Whip out a packet of french onion soup mix, or if you HAPPEN to have some leftover french onion soup from a meal, use that.
Heat it up in a pot, add some cornstarch.
Brown hamburger or veggie crumbles.
Dump all of the veggies, soupy stuff and burger bits into a 9x12 pan or a casserole dish. Casserole dishes work best, but use what you have.
By now potatoes are ready for smooshing.
Drain them. Please do not burn yourself.
Steam is hot. I know right? Amazing!
Pour 1/2c milk and 1 tbs butter into the pot the potatoes were in. Get the butter all melty and the milk nice n warm.
Why? Because I am telling you too and I am the boss right now!
No, really, because the cold of the milk and butter cause the happy starches of the taters to seize up and become gluey. We don't like gluey.
Pour the taters in.
Get out you smoosher.
NO! Do not use the hand blender! Geez!
Get out you great great grandmothers rusted, bent, mangled smoosher and smoosh.
The one with a long handle and funny looking holes or squiggles in the bottom.
Ya that thing. No it's not a branding iron.
*Sigh*
Ok, sorry, I will get the pictures in, I promise...Computer... Stupid...remember?
Squish taters until nice and creamy. If they are being uncooperative, add a little more milk and keep going. They will become creamy without electronic devices, trust me.
Conserve energy and all that.
With a spoon, put taters on top of soupy stuff. Do not push it down or try to spread it. This does not work.
Throw the...
Stop eating the potatoes. You need them for...
I said stop it.
See I told ya so.
Would you put the darn pan in the oven please, before they are all gone...?
Ok. Good. 350. 15-20mins or until warm.
Add cheddar cheese on top. Shredded of course. (Although squishy plastic cheese is good too)
When nice and warm pull out of oven and serve. If ya want to get all fancy, chop some green onions to throw over the top and nuke some rolls or bring out the bread so you can sop up all that soupy goodness.
Or heck, serve it over the bread. I won't tell.
Simple, easy and relatively fast.
Maybe tomorrow I will tell you my secret potato pancake recipe... 'cause it's really yummy with scrambled eggs and bacon....
Mmmmm bacon.
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