Mashed: Thanksgiving Mashed Potatoes

Subject: Thanksgiving Mashed Potatoes
Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking
From: Melba's Jammin' (barbschaller at earthlink.net)
Date: Sun, 12 Nov 2000 22:44:10 GMT
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While sitting at the Vikings footsball game this afternoon, the GirlChild and I started discussing Thanksgiving dinner a bit. The dressing, specifically. Suddenly occurred to me that I've got this little Nesco electric roaster than I bought this summer and that will give us more heating ability.

Opinions, please, on making up the mashed potatoes in advance (there's some recipe that involves sour cream or cream cheese with them, I think) and using the roaster to heat them for serving.

Here's a recipe. Not the one I had in mind, though.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

A do-ahead favorite.

1 (5 lb.) bag red potatoes
1/2 cup peeled, whole garlic cloves
2 (49 1/2 oz.) cans chicken broth
2 cups milk
6 tbsp. butter or margarine
1 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. snipped fresh chives

Scrub potatoes; remove blemishes, cut into 1 1/2" cubes. Place potatoes and garlic in large Dutch oven. Cover with broth. Bring to a boil, covered, over high heat; simmer until tender (25-30 min.). Heat milk and butter until butter is melted; reserve and refrigerate 3/4 cup. Drain potatoes; return potatoes to pan. Mash with hand potato masher. Beat hot milk mixture into potatoes until desired consistency. Stir in salt and chives. Spoon into buttered 3 qt. casserole; smooth top. Cover and refrigerate.

To Bake: Remove from refrigerator; pour reserved 3/4 cup milk mixture over top. Bring to room temperature (about 2 hrs.). Bake, covered, in a preheated 350° oven until heated through (55-60 min.). Remove from oven; stir.
Amount: 8 (1 cup) servings.

Tips: A hand potato masher produces the best results. An electric mixer can cause the potatoes to become "gummy" or "sticky." If an electric mixer is used, use on the lowest mixer speed and do not overmix.

Can be heated in the microwave. Microwave (HIGH), covered, until heated through (10-15 min.), rotating twice; stir. Recipe tested in 900 watt microwave oven.
From: Trudy_Beth at webtv.net
Date: Sun, 12 Nov 2000 18:04:12 -0600 (CST)
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<didn't even quote the long-winded Jammer>

Ask Sheryl about her mother in laws potatoes....apparently you haven't been paying attention to the emotional thread.

Trudy....very tired of potato threads
From: Craig Welch (craig at pacific.net.sg)
Date: Tue, 14 Nov 2000 16:13:16 +1000
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>Trudy....very tired of potato threads

They can make a meal more interesting. Put one or two medium size potatoes through a threader, then put carefully into boiling water. Cook gently, with a little salt. DO NOT BREAK THREADS. Serve with a little garnish.
From: Leslie (vizitor at speedchoice.com)
Date: Sun, 12 Nov 2000 17:49:55 -0700
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Every Thanksgiving my MIL made the mashed potatoes and brought them over in her crockpot. It works great. But she's too elderly now, so last year I had to do them along with the rest of the dinner. So I used her method because there's just too much to do when the turkey is done without having to mash potatoes too. She boiled up 5 lbs. of potatoes, mashed them in batches, then piled them into the crockpot. 5 lbs. filled her crockpot completely. But I have a larger one, so last year I boiled up 10 lbs., mashed them in batches with milk, butter, and salt, and kept adding the batches to the crockpot until it was full. Put the remainder of the potatoes in the frig. for later. When the crockpot is full, put a big dollop of butter on top, and put the crockpot on low. Stir them every half hour or so. It works great. The cream cheese/sour cream idea sounds great, so I'm going to watch and see if anyone comes forward with a recipe.
From: Melba's Jammin' (barbschaller at earthlink.net)
Date: Mon, 13 Nov 2000 01:43:15 GMT
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Leslie wrote:
> Every Thanksgiving my MIL made the mashed potatoes and brought them over in
> her crockpot.
(some particulars snipped)
> Stir them every half hour or so. It works great.
(my original snipped)

What's the total length of time for heating?

Barb
From: Susie Q (pomeroy2 at worldnet.att.net)
Date: Mon, 13 Nov 2000 11:39:17 GMT
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Here is the recipe that I have for "Standby Mashed Potatoes"

8-10 potatoes
1 8oz. pkg. cream cheese
1/2 pint sour cream
salt and white pepper

Peel potatoes and boil in salted water until tender. Drain. Return to heat to dry for a few moments, tossing pan until potatoes become mealy on outside.
Mash potatoes. Add the cream cheese blended with sour cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Place in buttered 3-quart glass or ceramic casserole. Cover and refrigerate (up to 24 hours in advance).
Remove from refrigerator 1 1/2 hours before dinner time and let come to room temperature before baking 45 minutes at 350 degrees F. or 60 minutes at 325 degrees F.
From: Jeanne McKenna (mckennap at erols.com)
Date: Thu, 16 Nov 2000 17:24:42 -0500
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Has anyone tried transferring mashed potatoes to a crock pot and keeping it warm till serving time? Just tryiing to eliminate one "last minute'" thing.
From: gzywicki at my-deja.com (Greg Zywicki)
Date: Mon, 13 Nov 2000 14:12:19 GMT
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> Opinions, please, on making up the mashed potatoes in advance

Don't like them, personally. I'd use the roaster for something that does better pre-made, like squash or sweet potatoes or dressing.
From: Melba's Jammin' (barbschaller at earthlink.net)
Date: Mon, 13 Nov 2000 15:07:01 GMT
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Greg Zywicki wrote:
> Melba's Jammin' <barbschaller at earthlink.net> wrote:
> >
> > Opinions, please, on making up the mashed potatoes in advance (there's
> > some recipe that involves sour cream or cream cheese with them, I think)
> > and using the roaster to heat them for serving.
> >
> Don't like them, personally. I'd use the roaster for something that
> does better pre-made, like squash or sweet potatoes or dressing.

Yeah, I thought about using it for extra dressing, too. Gotta think about this.

Barb
From: gzywicki at my-deja.com (Greg Zywicki)
Date: Mon, 13 Nov 2000 15:51:48 GMT
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One thing to factor in to your thinking - Potato starch continues to absorb moisture, so the longer you hold them, the more their texture changes. Of course, if you're doing some sort of twicebake, that's not such an issue. Heck, there's a simple solution - you've got 10 days to try it out. Make a small batch, hold them for what you think the time will be, and taste. At worst, you'll have a very savory shepard's pie crust.
From: Jack Schidt (jack.schidt at attdotnet)
Date: Mon, 13 Nov 2000 14:23:43 GMT
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> Opinions, please, on making up the mashed potatoes in advance

I've never had any luck with making mashed potatoes in advance. They gotta be made fresh.
From: ndooley at blue.weeg.uiowa.edu (Nancy Dooley)
Date: Mon, 13 Nov 2000 21:23:08 GMT
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>Opinions, please, on making up the mashed potatoes in advance

Don't know why it won't work if you make them ahead - chill them for however long - and then on T'giving Day, put them in the roaster to heat up (stir periodically) - I do a mashed potato souffle sometimes - add whipped cream cheese to regular mashed potatoes, along with a beaten egg - dot the top with butter and sprinkle with paprika and bake at 350 for 30 min. But with the addition of the egg, it does become a "souffle" sort of - doesn't fall, but it doesn't hold real well.

If you want to add sour cream or cream cheese, go for it - it shouldn't make any difference when you warm it up in the roaster. Just be careful about temp - my son the former sous says potatoes are dangerous when they're too long at a warm but not hot enough temperature.
From: Madeline (madwen at mailbag.spammenot.com)
Date: Wed, 15 Nov 2000 18:33:18 -0600
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> Opinions, please, on making up the mashed potatoes in advance

While I normally hand-mash mine, when rushed I put my cooked potatoes in the stainless KA bowl and keep them warm in there with some milk and butter. Then I let the mixer do the work while I am rushing to get the other stuff on the table.

For 5# of potatoes, you can roast 3 entire heads of garlic for an hour or so when you first put the turkey in. I drizzle a little olive oil over mine first. Let it cool after roasting and then squeeze out the pulp into the potatoes for the truly best garlic mashed potatoes ever. I use chopped parsley or other fresh herbs in mine. I also chop up some of the browned bits of the garlic heads right into the potatoes.
Subject: Decadent Mashed Potatoes..
Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking
From: rmi1013934 at aol.com (Rosie Miller)
Date: 13 Nov 2000 01:09:48 GMT
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4 pounds russet or baking potatoes.. peeled
1/4 pound bacon ... diced
4 Cups (packed) stemmed, washed fresh spinach
1 cup heavy cream
about 1 cup freshly grated parmasan cheese
salt and freshly ground pepper

Dice potatoes and boil till tender, while potatoes are cooking, cook the bacon. when the bacon is starting to brown, add the spinach and cook till all the liquid from the spinach has evaporated.

Drain potaotes, mash them... add the bacon, cream,cheese and spinach, salt and pepper too. I also add some butter....
Rosie

These are the best I have ever eaten no, they are not for those on low calorie diets, but a splurge on Thanksgiving won't hurt.