I’m going to say something that might be controversial:
Mashed potatoes are one of the most important sides at Thanksgiving.
At least, in my humble opinion.
Yes, the star of the show is the turkey / gravy / stuffing (side note: my mom’s stuffing recipe is the absolute best).
But the mashed potatoes! You need mashed potatoes because what is gravy without mashed potatoes?
Everyone has a preference for how they mash. I typically keep my recipes for mashed potatoes simple. If I’m being honest, sometimes I love to leave the skin on my potatoes (obviously I scrub the heck out of them first). Sometimes I use cream instead of milk. And almost always I use butter (unless, of course, I’m doing olive oil mashed potatoes, in which case, there is no butter).
I always cut my potatoes into around 1-inch pieces and cover them with water, then season the water with salt. Bring it to a boil, and they’re usually done after around 12 minutes. Do I use a potato ricer? Sometimes. But I kind of like my mashed potatoes with a bit of texture tbqh. I know some people like to heat the milk and butter before adding the cooked potatoes, but I like to mash them all together.
One of my all-time favorite cold-weather meals is roast chicken, mashed potatoes, and a vinegary salad. Like many for Thanksgiving 2020, I ate alone. And while that was a major bummer, I was kind of able to focus on only a few dishes, mashed potatoes being one of them (and a packet of expired gravy that—surprisingly—did not disappoint).
There are so many things that you can add to your mashed potato base to have a bit of fun and change it up. Roasted garlic, cream cheese, herbs.
Back in…omg, 2015 (had to google), I developed a recipe at SAVEUR for avocado mashed potatoes, which I lovingly called “mashamole.” (find the reel I did of the recipe here.) I know some people out there turn their nose up at warm avocado (I mean, I often do), but adding avocado, cilantro, and lime juice to mashed potatoes is INCREDIBLY delicious— cannot recommend enough. Serve it with roast chicken, seafood…whatever.
BUT! Below is my recipe for sour cream and onion mashed potatoes. If you know me and have partied with me, then chances are you’ve had my onion dip. This summer, I had at least 5 separate requests for it at different parties and gatherings. I’ll even be making it for Thanksgiving this year to enjoy before the turkey (while we puzzle or play cards, cocktails / wine in hand).
Yes, I do love the classic Lipton onion soup packet, but I like to make my onion dip with caramelized onions, along with sour cream, garlic and onion powders, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, sometimes hot sauce…honestly, I play around with it and tweak it every time that I make it.
And every time it tastes better and better.
Anyway, I figured why not turn my onion dip into mashed potatoes. So that’s exactly what I did here.
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