In case you haven’t noticed, I’m definitely in cold-weather mode with my recipes lately because it’s been so darn chilly these past few weeks! Instead of craving summer salads and grilled food, I’m craving hearty stick-to-your ribs recipes that will warm me up. I’ve also been really busy at my day job, trying to settle into our new life in London, and feeling a little homesick for my life back in Paris. A nice helping of comfort food is our self-prescribed recipe to cope with all of these changes, and we’ve been cooking up a bunch of ours recently.
Everyone has their own take on what represents comfort food for them, but for me, one of my classic favorites would definitely be mashed potatoes. They remind me of Thanksgiving (my favorite holiday) and they’re easy enough to make for a mid-week dinner, so you can enjoy them all year round. I’ve tried several different recipes, from garlicky mash, to red skin potato mash, skin on vs peeled, and lots of other variations.
For some reason, my favorite mashed potatoes used to be the ones that came in the Swanson TV dinners. Yes, really. I couldn’t wait to gobble them up, and one of my faves was the fried chicken w/mashed potatoes and corn. I think even now I’d probably still love them! Let’s not think about how many preservatives and other awful things must be in those things, though…
Over the years, I’ve come to have a new favorite: simple, creamy mashed potatoes. No fancy ingredients, no garlic, no bacon, no cheese… just potatoes, salt, pepper and a bit of dairy with a dash of olive oil. This would be the perfect side to go with the perfect restaurant-style steak!
Ingredients:
- 5 large potatoes, peeled & quartered
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons of salt
- ¼ cup of heavy cream
- Salt and pepper, to taste (optional)
Instructions:
- Place the salt and potatoes in a large pot, and fill with water until the potatoes are covered.
- Boil the potatoes for about 25 minutes, or until completely tender.
- While the potatoes are boiling, heat the heavy cream and butter on a low heat until butter is melted. Set aside.
- Once cooked, drain the potatoes and return to the pot. Add in the cream and butter mixture.
- Using a hand mixer, whip the potatoes for about 30 seconds, until smooth. Then, add in the olive oil and whip for another 30 seconds.
- Season with salt & pepper as needed, and serve hot!
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