Mashed potatoes are a standard of most holiday dinners. A scoop of potatoes, a bag of butter, and smothered in gravy- what better side for your holiday meal?
Over 97% of people having Thanksgiving Turkey will eat mashed potatoes!
But making mashed potatoes is a lot of work—recruit the team to help peel the spuds. When you should start cooking: A couple of hours before dinnertime. Mashed potatoes are best served when they’re hot and just made. To keep them hot until dinner is served, put them in a dish on a low flame on the stove or on low heat in the oven. You can also cook them in an instant pot or keep them warm in a slow cooker.
There are endless ways to serve Mashed Potatoes, and I challenge you to find someone who doesn’t like them (when made properly). And they make great leftovers! You can easily reheat mashed potatoes in the microwave. Just add a splash of milk to soften them and some more seasonings if needed.
Recipe for Lemon Hazelnut Mashed Potatoes:
Adding crunchy hazelnuts brings a lovely contrast to the creamy texture of your favorite recipe. If you’re a white wine lover, the bright citrus flavors from the Meyer lemon zest complement the crisp fruit in bright white wines like Jordan Chardonnay, while the toasted nuts and hazelnut oil highlight the wine’s subtle oak nuances.
Ingredients
- 4–6 Russet potatoes, mashed
- 5 Meyer lemons, zested
- ¼ cup hazelnuts, toasted and cracked
- 1 tablespoon hazelnut oil
- 2 teaspoons marjoram
- Crushed hazelnuts and lemon zest for garnish
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Follow your favorite mashed potato recipe (or see below) to completion. Heat butter and cream together before folding into potatoes and add salt during the fold, which ensures even seasoning, eliminates the need to reheat the finished product and decreases the risk of over-mashing. Fold in lemon zest, cracked hazelnuts, hazelnut oil and marjoram. Garnish with additional crushed nuts and lemon zest. Season to taste and serve.
Simple Mashed Potatoes
- 5 medium Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes* , peeled or skin on
- 1/4 cup butter, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon paste* (optional)
- ½ – 3/4 cups evaporated milk, warmed (or use cream or half and half)
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cook Potatoes: Cut potatoes in half and place them in a large pot with about 4 inches of water (they don’t need to be completely covered). Cover the pot with a lid, and cook it until the fork is tender about 15-20 minutes. You don’t want them “mushy” or falling apart.
- Drain and steam: Drain the water completely from the pot and leave the potatoes in the pot, covered with a lid, for about 10 minutes. This gives them time to dry out, which helps them become extra fluffy.
- Season: Remove the lid and add the butter, chicken broth, evaporated milk, sour cream, salt, and pepper.
- Mash with a potato masher. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if needed, or more milk until they are creamy, fluffy, and smooth. I use an electric mixer to beat them at medium speed for a few seconds until they are light and fluffy. But be careful not to over-mix them, or they will get starchy and gummy.
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