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Potatoes are my favorite food. I don’t care how you prepare them, I love them. Tater tots, french fries, baked potatoes, hash browns, au gratin, Â it doesn’t matter how you make them, I love them. Thanksgiving is the best because it gives me an opportunity to make these delicious mashed potatoes.
Mashed potatoes on Thanksgiving are special because they have to go well with gravy. You can’t have Thanksgiving without gravy. So you can’t add too many things to the potatoes. This recipe is the best host for gravy.
So let’s get started with the tools you’ll need.
There are a few ways to peel the potatoes. You can use a paring knife, or a peeler. Using a paring knife wastes a lot of potato and there are some horrible peelers out there. After years of peeling potatoes I finally found THE PERFECT PEELER. I’m not kidding. You will never, ever, use another peeler ever again in your life!
This peeler works so fast and it cuts grooves into the potato so you can keep a grip on it. It won’t slip out of your hands. You can use this peeler in all directions too. Up, Down, Band and Forth. It seriously cuts your prep time in half.
Next thing you need is a good pot. A big stockpot is what you need when you are making enough mashed potatoes to feed an army. And a stainless steel one is perfect if you plan on mashing them inside the pot. You don’t want a non-stick pan for this.
Speaking of mashing, you have to decide if you want chunky mashed potatoes or smooth mashed potatoes. If you like chunky, you’ll need a potato masher.
If you want smooth potatoes you’ll need a mixer like this one . . .
And last but not least you need a great colander. I love stainless steel colanders because they last forever.
The first thing to think about is how many people you will be serving. I peel one potato per person plus 5, just to be sure that I have enough for those who LOVE potatoes. Leftovers are good!
Now on to the recipe. This is a basic recipe meant for you to adjust until it tastes the way you like. So be sure to taste it often as you are adding ingredients.
Perfect Mashed Potatoes
- 5 pounds Russet Potatoes
- 3/4 cup of Butter
- 1/2 cup (to 3/4 Cups) Half-and-Half
- 1/2 teaspoon Seasoned Salt (to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper (to taste)
Peel and cut the potatoes into pieces that are uniform in size. Place the potatoes in the pot and cover with water. Bring the water to a boil and cook for 30 to 35 minutes. When the potatoes are cooked through, a fork should easily slide into the potatoes with no resistance. The potatoes will fall apart when stabbed with a fork.
Drain the potatoes in a large colander. Place the potatoes back into the pot. Mash the potatoes in the pot to break up the steam. Add 1 and  half sticks of butter, 1/2 cup half and half and mash or beat with your mixer until smooth.
Add the seasoned salt and pepper to taste. Stir well and pour into your serving bowl.
If you are making these ahead of time, refrigerate. When you are ready to serve the potatoes, take them out of the oven 2 to 3 hours before baking. Add them to a cake pan and bake them in the oven at 350 degrees for about 20 to 30 minutes or until warmed through.
Ingredients
- 5 pounds Russet Potatoes
- 3/4 cup of Butter
- 1/2 cup (to 3/4 Cups) Half-and-Half
- 1/2 teaspoon Seasoned Salt (to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Peel and cut the potatoes into pieces that are uniform in size. Place the potatoes in the pot and cover with water. Bring the water to a boil and cook for 30 to 35 minutes. When the potatoes are cooked through, a fork should easily slide into the potatoes with no resistance. The potatoes will fall apart when stabbed with a fork.
- Drain the potatoes in a large colander. Place the potatoes back into the pot. Mash the potatoes in the pot to break up the steam. Add 1 and half sticks of butter, 1/2 cup half and half and mash or beat with your mixer until smooth.
- Add the seasoned salt and pepper to taste. Stir well and pour into your serving bowl.
- If you are making these ahead of time, refrigerate. When you are ready to serve the potatoes, take them out of the oven 2 to 3 hours before baking. Add them to a cake pan and bake them in the oven at 350 degrees for about 20 to 30 minutes or until warmed through.
Enjoy your amazing Thanksgiving Dinner with your family~!
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