We know your Thanksgiving menu has been locked in for the last several decades (because if you're like Rebecca's family, you learned a while ago not to mess around with the tried and true favorites), but if you're open to trying a new mashed potato recipe, this one a la The Pioneer Woman is highly recommended! Try not to sneak too many spoonfuls when you're prepping them the night before the big day... they are hard to resist!
| Servings: 10 |
Prep: 60 minutes
|
Cook: 30 minutes |
Ingredients
- 5 lb. russet or Yukon Gold potatoes
- 3/4 cup butter, plus more for topping
- 1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup half-and-half
- 1 tsp. Lawry's Seasoned Salt
- 1 tsp. black pepper
Instructions
- Peel and cut the potatoes into pieces that are generally the same size. Bring a large pot of water to a simmer and add the potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook for 30 to 35 minutes. When they're cooked through, a fork should easily slide into the potatoes with no resistance, and the potatoes should almost, but not totally, fall apart.
- Drain the potatoes in a large colander. When the potatoes have finished draining, place them back into the dry pot and put the pot on the stove. Mash the potatoes over low heat, allowing all the steam to escape, before adding in all the other ingredients.
- Turn off the stove and add the butter, cream cheese, and about 1/2 cup of half-and-half. Mash, mash, mash! Next, add the Lawry's Seasoned Salt and black pepper. Add remaining half-and-half depending on how you like your mashed potato consistency
- Stir well, and place in a medium-sized baking dish. Throw a few pats of butter over the top of the potatoes and place them into a 350ºF oven to heat until the butter is melted and the potatoes are warmed through.
Rebecca's Notes
- Allowing the steam to escape from the cooked potatoes before adding the rest of the ingredients helps prevent them from getting a gummy texture
- Use the fine black pepper in the tin instead of fresh cracked! The flavor of the fine stuff is where it's at for this one. And don't be afraid to taste for seasoning throughout your prep and add in some extra regular salt along the way.
- If prepping these in advance, pull them out of the refrigerator approximately 2 hours before you plan to reheat them to allow them to come closer to room temp
- To save precious oven space on Thanksgiving day, my family uses a slow cooker to reheat the mashed potatoes. High heat for 1.5 to 2 hours. Just be sure to consistently give them a stir to ensure even heat distribution throughout and prevent the outside from burning!
- Recipe courtesy of The Pioneer Woman