Mashed: Fancy Mashed Potatoes

Subject: Fancy Mashed Potatoes
Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking
From: ~patches~ (noones_home at thisaddress.com)
Date: Sun, 16 Oct 2005 06:25:54 -0400
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This is a family favourite that appears just about everytime we get together. The pic is before baked. Recipe sort of follows.
http://tinypic.com/elcr3k.jpg [dead link]

Here's how I make them. Peel 10 lb potatoes and cut into large pieces.

Add a couple cloves garlic and 1/2 chopped onion. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are soft. Remove from heat & drain. Add 1 block (8 oz) cream cheese & about 1/2 a container of sour cream (~ 1 1/2 c), a couple of pieces of butter, & milk. Beat mixture until smooth - be careful not to beat too long or the potatoes will get gooey. Spoon the mixture into a casserole pan. Top with a few pieces of butter, bread crumbs & fresh chopped chives. Bake at 350 F until lightly browned on top.
From: Bob Terwilliger (virtualgoth at die_spammer.biz)
Date: 16 Oct 2005 05:33:03 -0500
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A few questions:

1. What do you use to beat the potatoes? A hand mixer?

2. When you add the cream cheese, sour cream, butter, and milk, are they straight out of the refrigerator? Or do you warm them at least to room temperature before adding them?

3. What size casserole dish is that? Ten pounds of potatoes seems like a LOT!
From: ~patches~ (noones_home at thisaddress.com)
Date: Sun, 16 Oct 2005 07:00:29 -0400
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Bob Terwilliger wrote:

> 1. What do you use to beat the potatoes? A hand mixer?

I use electric egg beaters.

> 2. When you add the cream cheese, sour cream, butter, and milk, are they
> straight out of the refrigerator? Or do you warm them at least to room
> temperature before adding them?

Straight from the fridge. I'm a tad lazy sometimes :)

> 3. What size casserole dish is that? Ten pounds of potatoes seems like a
> LOT!

It seems like a lot and you will need a big stock pot to cook them in but once they beat down they will fit into a lg. casserole dish - 9.5" x 13.5" x 2" deepfried
From: ~patches~ (noones_home at thisaddress.com)
Date: Sun, 16 Oct 2005 07:01:14 -0400
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Oh forgot to add, these do freeze quite nicely just warm up slowly and stir.
From: Jill McQuown
Date: Sun, 16 Oct 2005 06:51:28 -0500
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Bob Terwilliger wrote:
>> Here's how I make them. Peel 10 lb potatoes and cut into large
>> pieces.
> 3. What size casserole dish is that? Ten pounds of potatoes seems
> like a LOT!

Yikes! I was wondering, was she on KP duty in the military? Here's a 25 pound sack of potatoes... start peeling! LOL
From: Sheldon (PENMART01 at aol.com)
Date: 16 Oct 2005 10:03:44 -0700
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Bob Terwilliger wrote:
> ~patches~ wrote:
>
> > This is a family favourite
> > http://tinypic.com/elcr3k.jpg [dead link]

Looks exactly like puke, really.

> > Peel 10 lb potatoes

> 3. What size casserole dish is that? Ten pounds of potatoes seems
> like a LOT!

She's just guessing (poor guesser), should be obvious ~patches~ is a liar.
From: Grandma Goodguts (hereslookin at youkid.com )
Date: Sun, 16 Oct 2005 18:43:49 GMT
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~patches~ hit the crackpipe and declared:
>This is a family favourite that appears just about everytime we get
>together. The pic is before baked. Recipe sort of follows.
>http://tinypic.com/elcr3k.jpg

Heavens to Betsy! The next time you get carsick, please don't take pictures and post!

>Here's how I make them. Peel 10 lb potatoes and cut into large pieces.

Ten pounds! Mercy! Are you expecting the Marine Corps for dinner?

>Add a couple cloves garlic and 1/2 chopped onion. Bring to a boil and
>cook until potatoes are soft. Remove from heat & drain. Add 1 block (8
>oz) cream cheese & about 1/2 a container of sour cream (~ 1 1/2 c), a
>couple of pieces of butter, & milk. Beat mixture until smooth - be
>careful not to beat too long or the potatoes will get gooey. Spoon the
>mixture into a casserole pan. Top with a few pieces of butter, bread
>crumbs & fresh chopped chives. Bake at 350 F until lightly browned on top.

Thank you for the mashed potatoes recipe, Dearie. What's next, green bean casserole?
From: ~patches~ (noones_home at thisaddress.com)
Date: Sun, 16 Oct 2005 15:43:13 -0400
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Grandma Goodguts wrote:
> Ten pounds! Mercy! Are you expecting the Marine Corps for dinner?

No just kids, spouses, & selves :) And it was good!

> Thank you for the mashed potatoes recipe, Dearie. What's next, green
> bean casserole?

Sorry never made that but maybe someone else here has.
From: sf (see_reply_address at nospam.com)
Date: Sun, 16 Oct 2005 14:31:31 -0700
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~patches~ wrote:
> Sorry never made that but maybe someone else here has.

I have, I do, I will and dog gone it, people like it.

:)
From: ~patches~ (noones_home at thisaddress.com)
Date: Sun, 16 Oct 2005 17:44:58 -0400
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sf wrote:
> I have, I do, I will and dog gone it, people like it.

Grandma Gut is someone we all know but in disguise ;)
From: sf (see_reply_address at nospam.com)
Date: Sun, 16 Oct 2005 15:52:10 -0700
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~patches~ wrote:
> Grandma Gut is someone we all know but in disguise ;)

Lemme guess... uses an old version of Agent, Earthlink is the provider.... hmmmm.
From: Dan Abel (dabel at sonic.net)
Date: Wed, 19 Oct 2005 23:12:50 GMT
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~patches~ wrote:

> No just kids, spouses, & selves :) And it was good!

Jealousy is a sad thing. Sounds good to me, although I'm not sure it fits into my diet too often.

> Sorry never made that but maybe someone else here has.

Yeah, it's pretty good, too.
From: ~patches~ (noones_home at thisaddress.com)
Date: Wed, 19 Oct 2005 19:34:32 -0400
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Dan Abel wrote:
> Jealousy is a sad thing. Sounds good to me, although I'm not sure it
> fits into my diet too often.

I agree jealousy is a sad thing, rather ugly too.

They are very, very, very good. Sadly they do not fit into our diet often either :( These really are about a 2 - 3 times a year side dish served at special get togethers.
From: fudge (fudge at nrtco.net)
Date: Sun, 16 Oct 2005 16:01:22 -0400
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You can make anything taste great if you add five bucks worth of dairy products.

F.J.
From: Sheldon (PENMART01 at aol.com)
Date: 16 Oct 2005 14:22:46 -0700
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fudge wrote:
> You can make anything taste great if you add five bucks worth of dairy
> products.

How about just 50¢ worth of butter...
From: Dan Abel (dabel at sonic.net)
Date: Wed, 19 Oct 2005 23:09:45 GMT
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fudge wrote:
> You can make anything taste great if you add five bucks worth of dairy
> products.

Does that mean it's twice as good with US$10.00 of dairy products?

:-)
From: Goomba38 (Goomba38 at comcast.net)
Date: Sat, 22 Oct 2005 11:41:18 -0400
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~patches~ wrote:
> This is a family favourite that appears just about everytime we get
> together. The pic is before baked. Recipe sort of follows.
> http://tinypic.com/elcr3k.jpg [dead link]

What is that orange stuff on top??
From: Boron Elgar (boron_elgar at hotmail.com)
Date: Sat, 22 Oct 2005 12:06:21 -0400
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Goomba38 wrote:
>What is that orange stuff on top??

Paprika, I'd wager.
From: Wayne Boatwright (waynesgang at waynes.gang)
Date: 22 Oct 2005 18:33:39 +0200
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Boron Elgar wrote:
> Paprika, I'd wager.

Butter & breadcrumbs, according to the recipe.
From: Boron Elgar (boron_elgar at hotmail.com)
Date: Sat, 22 Oct 2005 12:32:40 -0400
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Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>Butter & breadcrumbs, according to the recipe.

Yeah...I suppose reading the recipe in the first place might have given me a hint....still looks like paprika, which is a staple in my house. Anything pale gets dusted.
From: Wayne Boatwright (waynesgang at waynes.gang)
Date: 22 Oct 2005 18:46:54 +0200
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Boron Elgar wrote:
> Yeah...I suppose reading the recipe in the first place might have
> given me a hint....still looks like paprika, which is a staple in my
> house. Anything pale gets dusted.

I love paprika and, as you said, anything pale gets dusted. I sometimes go through large quantities of it making paprikas and goulash.
From: ~patches~ (noones_home at thisaddress.com)
Date: Sat, 22 Oct 2005 12:55:51 -0400
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Boron Elgar wrote:
> Yeah...I suppose reading the recipe in the first place might have
> given me a hint....still looks like paprika, which is a staple in my
> house. Anything pale gets dusted.

I just answered goomba so won't repeat. There is no paprika in this dish.
From: Goomba38 (Goomba38 at comcast.net)
Date: Sat, 22 Oct 2005 16:51:31 -0400
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Boron Elgar wrote:
> Yeah...I suppose reading the recipe in the first place might have
> given me a hint....still looks like paprika, which is a staple in my
> house. Anything pale gets dusted.

I don't use paprika to "color" foods. I don't know why I don't? I just don'mt see the need, I guess? I see that the original picture is of the unbaked potatoes and whenever I bake potato dishes they tend to brown nicely which appeals to me. If I make poatoes and need to keep them warmed in the oven I top them with butter and a little bit of milk or cream.
From: ~patches~ (noones_home at thisaddress.com)
Date: Sat, 22 Oct 2005 12:50:58 -0400
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Goomba38 wrote:
> What is that orange stuff on top??

They aren't orange & they are bread crumbs that have been darkened by the melted butter. This is not the best pic of them.
From: Sheldon (PENMART01 at aol.com)
Date: 22 Oct 2005 10:14:45 -0700
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~patches~ wrote:
> They aren't orange & they are bread crumbs that have been darkened by
> the melted butter.

Not paprika but not bread crumbs either, nor is that clear slimey glop any kind of butter (butter is yellow)... in fact that doesn't look like mashed potatoes...looks lumpy enough to be cauliflower with some kinda library paste poured over... actually that looks exactly like a hospital emesis basin on a busy night... good thing we can't smell it.
From: Joseph Littleshoes (jpstifel at pacbell.net)
Date: Sat, 22 Oct 2005 21:55:50 GMT
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Goomba38 wrote:
> What is that orange stuff on top??

One of my favorites uses blue cheese and carmalized onions that have a bit of port in them.