I spent Thanksgiving in Asia this year. It was an amazing trip, and I’m so glad I went, but I definitely missed the holiday. And most of all (aside from family of course…) I missed mashed potatoes.
These aren’t just any mashed potatoes, but a carefully perfected medley of deliciousness that just happen to include a bit of potato. The recipe for these mashed potatoes comes from my aunt Katie and her family, and I truly look forward to them all year.
Since I tragically missed these potatoes this year, one of the first things on my agenda after my return to the USA was to recreate my favorite parts of Thanksgiving — I roasted a turkey breast, some brussels sprouts & butternut squash, and of course, made the delicious potatoes.
I didn’t have Katie’s exact recipe, but the mashed potatoes ended up tasting almost exactly the same, you really can’t go wrong with cream cheese, butter, and cream.
For six side servings you will need:
3lbs yukon gold potatoes
8oz cream cheese at room temperature
1 stick of butter at room temperature
1/2-1 cup cream or milk
3 cloves of garlic, finely diced (or run through a garlic press)
Salt + pepper to taste
Paprika + extra butter (optional) for garnish
Fill a large pot with water and a hefty pinch of salt and bring to a boil.
In the meantime, peel the potatoes, and dice them into 1-2″ cubes, it doesn’t have to be exact!
When the water is boiling, throw the potatoes in, wait until the water comes back to a boil, and then turn the heat down and allow the potatoes to simmer for 10-15 minutes or until they are fork tender.
Drain the potatoes, then place them in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (you can also do this in a large bowl with a potato masher or some forks!). Add the butter and cream cheese and mix until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Then slowly add the milk or cream while the mixer is running until the potatoes reach the consistency you like.
You can either serve them right away OR you can put them in a large baking dish, sprinkle with paprika and dot with butter and heat them up at 350 for a few minutes before serving. I personally love the slight potato-y crust that happens when mashed potatoes are re-heated in the oven.
Man oh man these are delicious. It is good that Thanksgiving comes just once a year…
aTaleof2Kitchens 
Hillary, I’m glad to know that I’ve made such an impact on your holiday traditions. My grandmother, I know, would be delighted to know how much her recipe has lived on.
For your future endeavors, here is my grandmother’s original recipe. I have adapted it over the years to fit what I have in the fridge or spice closet at the time…also I use minced garlic instead of garlic salt and will throw fresh chives in instead of using chive cream cheese. But this is what my grandmother wrote to me–and I try to stick to it pretty closely at the holidays:
Nana’s (Owen’s Great-Grandmother’s)
Creamy Mashed Potatoes Recipe
As written by her in “Grandmother Remembers”
Serves 6
Ingredients:
• 2.5 lbs, potatoes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1- 3oz package of cream cheese with chives, cubed
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• ¼ teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/8teaspoon pepper
• 1 Cup heavy cream
• 1 Tablespoon butter
• Paprika to taste
Directions:
1. Cook potatoes with 1t salt in boiling water until tender, about 30min.
2. Drain well.
3. Mash potatoes until smooth.
4. Add cream cheese, 2 T butter, garlic salt, pepper and 1/2t salt.
5. Mix until smooth.
6. Gradually add heavy cream, mixing until smooth after each addition.
7. Turn potato mixture into greased 2quart baking dish. (Bake at once or cover with foil; refrigerate overnight.)
8. Dot top of potatoes with 1T butter and sprinkle with paprika.
9. Bake in 325 degree oven for 30 min.
10. Increase heat to 375 degrees and bake 30 min more or until hot.
It is really quite tasty if you get the chance to bake them in the oven–I don’t often get the oven space to do this at our Thanksgivings in Norwich. The butter and potatoes mixing together create a wonderful crusty shell, that I remember ADORING when I was younger.
We miss you! Hope to see you soon. xo-Auntie Katie