I hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving weekend and didn’t eat too much or spend too much money shopping all of the sales that have been advertised for days and days.  Once again, as Thanksgiving came to a close and I was left eating mounds of leftovers until yesterday, I kept wondering why in the world I only eat these delicious foods once every November?  Is it because only eating them once makes them more special?  Or is it laziness?  These foods really aren’t hard to make so I’m really not sure the answer.  This week I have a few foods I made over Thanksgiving that I think deserve a fair shot at being put on the dinner table throughout the year, starting with Cheddar and Chive Smashed Potatoes.

Red potatoes are cooked until perfectly soft and coated in a warm milk, butter and garlic bath before being hand mashed until creamy and still slightly lumpy.  Cheddar cheese, chives and sour cream are added to make these potatoes even more decadent, fluffy and flavorful.  The worse part about making mashed potatoes to me is the pealing but this recipe keeps the skin on so that painful process is eliminated (although you do still have to scrub them).  This recipe made a TON of potatoes which I barely made a dent into and still sadly have in my fridge.  These would make for great base for potato pancakes or just as a side to a good ol’ chicken dinner.  Winner winner.

The ingredients:

Add potatoes to a large pot and cover with water by 1 inch.  Cover pot and heat to boiling on high.  Add 2 teaspoons salt. Reduce heat to medium; cook  potatoes, partially covered, 30 minutes or until tender.

In a small saucepan, melt butter and add garlic; cook 1 minute or until golden, stirring.  Stir in milk and heat for 1 minute.  Remove  from heat; set aside.

Drain potatoes well and return to pot.  Add milk mixture, 1/2 teaspoon  salt, and 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.  With potato masher, mash until smooth.

Stir in cheese, sour cream, and chives.  

Serve hot.

Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:

• Reduced-fat cheddar cheese
• Light sour cream
• Fat-free milk

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source: Good Housekeeping Magazine