Variations on Mashed Potatoes

I didn't exactly cook dinner for Ethan tonight. I was in Waxahachie this afternoon, and Mom, Dad, Mary (and her kids) and I ate an early dinner. Mary put together the chicken and I made the mashed potatoes. I seem to have a special talent for mashed potatoes, because that is always what I'm asked to contribute to family meals.

Today, we used red potatoes. We just washed them well and left the peel on. We boiled them in salty water until tender enough to mash. I decided not to use a hand mixer this time, and just used a sharp knife to slice/mash them to pieces. I added a little butter, a little salt, and pepper. Mom & Dad had some homemade Hidden Valley Ranch dressing in their fridge, so I added some of that and stirred it all up. It was really good! I probably should have stopped there. But I decided they needed some onion. Dad grabbed some fresh shallots and chopped them. We all agreed that was just too much. Maybe a bit of green onion would have been okay.

Anyway, some other mashed potato additions are cream cheese, crushed garlic, parmesan, sour cream, or dill. I never use all of those at once, but it is fun to experiment. The main advice I give is to make sure all the ingredients are added when the potatoes are at their hottest, as soon as you drain them. And if you do use a mixer, barely use it on low speed just enough to mix the ingredients.

I don't have a picture tonight!