One of the main side dishes at Thanksgiving is mashed potato. It is a tasty dish on its own and also topped with gravy. Each family likely has their own recipe for mashed potato. In fact, my recipe has changed over the years. During the earlier years, I did not take a lot of time to make the potatoes smooth. I also kept things simple with butter, milk and salt. Over the years, I started to prefer creamy and smooth potatoes, so I added sour cream. I also added chives for extra flavour and some colour. There is no right or wrong way, so you can test combinations in your kitchen until you find your perfect recipe for mashed potato.
For the gravy, I once tried preparing the giblets that come in a big inside the turkey. The taste was too strong for me, so I have reverted to using packets of turkey gravy powder. Just add water, boil and whisk! To give it a more authentic taste, I sometimes add some turkey juices.
One tip for leftover mashed potato is to cook potato patties the next day for breakfast. Just heat some oil in a frying pan. Then form the mashed potato into small patties. Fry until brown on both sides, and then you have a crispy potato patty, similar to a hash brown.
Ingredients
5 pounds potatoes- Russett or similar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 c. butter or more to taste
1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. sour cream
small bunch of chives, chopped
Ground white pepper to taste
Instructions
First wash and peel potatoes. If you prefer, you can scrub the potatoes and leave some with skin for more country-style potatoes. Next bring the water to a boil in a large pot. Cut the potatoes in medium sized chunks and boil until very tender. Drain the potatoes and then mash until smooth.
Mash in the butter and milk until the consistency is smooth and creamy. Finally, mix in the sour cream, chives and white pepper. Serve hot with or without gravy!
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