Caramelized Onion & Cognac Gravy
December 12, 2017
Beef and Stout Pie with Stilton Calvados Pastry Top
January 5, 2018Just Like Mom Used To Make!
Make Ahead: Tom’s Mom’s Sour Cream and Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes
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Here at the Casa de Mai Tai Tom & Tracy, there is only one mashed potato recipe that we serve at every Thanksgiving meal, Tom’s Mom’s Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes. I love these so much because they are creamy and delicious and best of all, are made the night before so that you can cross one more item off your Thanksgiving ‘To Do List.’ Just bring to room temperature, fluff with a fork, and pop in the oven or microwave to reheat just before serving.
Tom’s mom used White Rose potatoes, but we prefer Yukon Golds. I usually make these with low-fat sour cream, light cream cheese and I Can’t Believe Its Not Butter, but for Thanksgiving, we go all in with the real stuff. We like our potatoes rustic (slightly lumpy). If you prefer smooth mashed potatoes, use a ricer. Add the butter and mix into the potatoes until melted before adding the sour cream and cream cheese. According to Cook’s Illustrated, “when the butter goes in before the dairy, the result is a silkier, creamier, smoother texture than when the dairy goes in first.” I agree.
One other tradition we have (and we do this to free up the oven) is we BBQ our turkey. Every year this is a drama/trauma. Tom buys the biggest fresh turkey that will BARELY fit into a Weber Kettle BBQ (about 22-24 lbs.). We put that baby on about 1 p.m. and shut the lid.
Tom stares in disbelief as the temperature PLUMMETS EVERY SINGLE TIME and then I have to YELL at him NOT TO OPEN THE LID to put on more coals. He dances about freaking out that the turkey will NEVER, EVER BE READY. We have been BBQing the turkey since 2002, and amazingly, no matter what size the turkey is, it is always ready in two and one-half hours. The last couple of years, I have assigned our friend, Jack, to keep watch over the BBQ and prevent Tom from opening the lid too often and letting the heat escape. (Learn more on how to grill your turkey at our helpful link.)
What goes best with these? Caramelized Onions and Cognac Gravy! Hopefully, you will enjoy these as much as we do and they will become family favorites year round.
Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours!
Ingredients:
5 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes
1 (4 oz.) stick unsalted butter
3 oz. cream cheese softened
3/4 cup sour cream
Kosher salt and White Pepper to taste
Directions:
Peel potatoes. Cut the larger potatoes in half so all the potatoes are about equal size. Add to a large pot and cover with cold water by an inch. Bring water to a boil and cook uncovered until done (about 15-20 minutes after the water comes to a boil; stick a fork in them, and if they fall apart they are ready).
Drain. Put the potatoes back into the pot and mash or rice until smooth. Add the butter and stir into potatoes until completely melted. Mix in the cream cheese and sour cream. Salt and white pepper to taste (this is Tom’s favorite part – tasting!). I use a lot of white pepper. Spread in a flat casserole dish (9X13) and cover with foil. Refrigerate overnight.
Remove foil and bring to room temperature. Preheat oven to 325°F. Fluff potatoes with fork and bake for a ½ hour or until heated through. Or, just pop them in a microwave until heated through – my preferred method.
6-8 servings (I usually make an extra pan for additional guests…and so Tom can eat mashed potatoes all weekend.)
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