With Turkey Day coming this week, I thought I’d repost my recipe for the best mashed potatoes ever – seriously, ever. And the best part is that not only do they taste good, but by making them in the morning you save yourself a ton of stress during the last-minute, rushing around, get-the-dinner-on-the-table time.
I stumbled across this recipe in my “Fix it and Forget it” slow cooker cookbook a few years ago. Not only are these potatoes delicious, they make my life so much easier because I prep them in the morning and they just cook all day. They are always hot, creamy and ready to go whenever dinner is ready.
First start with organic potatoes. The problem with conventionally-grown potatoes is that they are treated with fungicides during the growing season and sprayed with herbicides both before harvesting and after they’re dug up to prevent them from sprouting. Potatoes, being a root vegetable, absorb all the chemicals that wind up in soil. Washing and peeling is not enough – all those herbicides, fungicides, and pesticides are absorbed into the entire vegetable.
I read an article a few years ago called “7 Foods that Should Never Cross your Lips”. One of those seven of course… non-organic potatoes.
Organic potatoes are around $1-$2 a pound, just slightly more expensive than conventional spuds. It’s worth the few extra dollars. They aren’t hard to find. I just picked up mine at Trader Joe’s.
Extra Good Mashed Potatoes : (makes 12 servings)
5 lbs. of potatoes, peeled cooked and mashed
8 oz. package of cream cheese, softened
1 ½ cups sour cream
3 tsp. onion or garlic salt
½ tsp pepper
2 tbsp butter, melted
Peel and cook the potatoes. I like to leave a little bit of the skin on to give the potatoes some texture – and since they are organic, I’m not worried about chemicals on the potatoes’ skin getting into our meal. Also, they don’t have to be mashed completely as they soften up in the slow cooker and you can stir them every couple of hours to creamy perfection.
Combine potatoes and all the ingredients in your slow cooker. Cook on low for about six hours, stirring occassionally. That’s it!
You can also add shredded cheese, chopped garlic, paprika, organic chives or other spices to the mix. Experiment and see what works for you.
Seriously, these mashed potatoes are so easy, so delicious, and make meal preparation much less hectic. I promise you’ll love them.
Wishing you and your family a happy, healthy, and wonderful Thanksgiving.
