$pent Millennial

I know people claim the turkey is the star of the big day, but is it just me or are Mashed Potatoes the real star of the show? It is possible that, as a pescatarian who doesn’t eat turkey, I am biased. Still, the potatoes seem to be a crowd favorite, at least at my family Thanksgiving. In fact, I believe this year 2 or 3 people (out of the 8-person crowd) have all decided on bringing potatoes. And yes, one of those people is me. 

Is it really so strange though? We all remember the FRIENDS Thanksgiving episode with 3-5 different types of potatoes. Everyone likes them how they like them, and at least we all bring our own and don’t put it all on Monica. 

So, if you like me – and  2 others from my family- are tasked with bringing the potatoes, I am sharing a few different recipes of how I like my potatoes. My goal is to share a range of options that cover various budget and time restraints people might be facing. Because I get it. Especially this time of year, we are all a little… $pent. As always, mix it up. Change up the ingredients, add, subtract, and substitute as fits your budget, time, and taste. 

Option 1: Tight on budget or time. I gotta use what’s in the cabinet, fridge, or Dollar Tree down the road: 

Ingredients:  *Measurements will vary based on serving size, you should refer to the box for instructions

• Boxed mashed potatoes
• Butter (Or Margarine) 
• Milk or Cream – in a pinch, you can substitute with a can of cream of mushroom (or chicken soup) 
• Vegetable Stock – If you have any on hand
• Seasoning to taste (Salt, Pepper, Seasonall, Creole Seasoning, Paprika, etc) 
• Favorite canned vegetables (As available) 

Steps: 

1. Bring water and margarine or butter to a boil on the stove- measure based on serving size and instructions on box. Here is where I substitute about ½ (or as much as I have left in the fridge up to ½) of the water with vegetable stock for extra flavor. 
2. Remove from heat and mix in mashed potato flakes (measure based on serving size to be in ratio with other ingredients) 
3. Add in milk or cream of soup- if you use the soup and find it too thick slowly add in water to adjust the texture to taste
4. Mix in seasoning 
5. Optional: If you are like Phoebe from FRIENDS (and me) add in canned vegetables of choice) 

Option 2: I can buy a few items and have a bit of time: 

Ingredients: 

 *Measurements for potatoes will vary based on serving size, you should refer to the box for instructions

Potatoes: 

• Boxed mashed potatoes
• Butter (Or Margarine) 
• Milk or Cream – in a pinch, you can substitute with a can of cream of mushroom (or chicken soup) 
• Vegetable Stock – If you have any on hand
• Seasoning to taste (Salt, Pepper, Seasonall, Creole Seasoning, Paprika, etc) 
• Favorite canned vegetables (As available) 

Cheesy Onion Topping: 

• Sweet Yellow Onions (About 3-4) 
• Shredded Cheese – (Cheddar, Italian Mix, Parmesan) 1 cup each 
• Seasoning to taste
• 4 Tbsp Butter (or Margarine) 

Steps: 

Potatoes: 

1. Bring water and margarine or butter to a boil on the stove- measure based on serving size and instructions on box. Here is where I substitute about ½ (or as much as I have left in the fridge up to ½) of the water with vegetable stock for extra flavor. 
2. Remove from heat and mix in mashed potato flakes (measure based on serving size to be in ratio with other ingredients) 
3. Add in milk or cream of soup- if you use the soup and find it too thick slowly add in water to adjust the texture to taste
4. Mix in seasoning (Keep in mind, extra butter and seasoning will be added on top, so don’t over do the seasoning…)
5. Optional: If you are like Phoebe from FRIENDS (and me) add in canned vegetables of choice) 
6. Grease a skillet or casserole dish with butter or margarine, spread potatoes evenly across the skillet/ dish

Cheesy Onion Topping: 

1. Peel and Chop Yellow Onions
2. Layer onions atop mashed potatoes in the skillet/dish
3. Season to taste. 
4. Spread 8 slices of the margarine/ butter out evenly across the dish to melt into the onions and potatoes below

Bake: 

*Note, please be very careful taking in and out of the oven! Very, very hot liquid and oil will be in the dish/ skillet! 

1. Add a small amount of milk/cream and/or broth to the potatoes to avoid them drying out
2. Cover the skillet/ dish with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes 
3. After 25 minutes, remove the foil to add cheese
4. Add the cheeses, layering cheddar, and Italian mix, and top with parmesan 
5. Re-cover with foil and cook for 10 minutes
6. After 10 minutes, remove the foil and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes, until the cheese is golden/ brown to taste. 

Finally, remove from oven and let cool to serve! You might need to mix a bit to evenly re-distribute the liquid back into the potatoes. 

Option 3: I am making a day of it and have saved up for this all year! 

Ingredients: 

 *Measurements for potatoes will vary based on serving size

Potatoes: 

• Red Potatoes ( I use about 5 -7) depending on the potato size 
• Russet Potatoes (I use about 4-5) depending on the potato size. 
• Butter (Or Margarine) 
• Milk or Cream – in a pinch, you can substitute with a can of cream of mushroom (or chicken soup) 
• Vegetable Stock – If you have any on hand
• Seasoning to taste (Salt, Pepper, Seasonall, Creole Seasoning, Paprika, etc) 
• Optional: Favorite canned vegetables (As available) 
• Optional: Additional yellow onions (1-2), in addition to ones for topping 

Cheesy Onion Topping: 

• Sweet Yellow Onions (About 3-4) 
• Shredded Cheese – (Cheddar, Italian Mix, Parmesan) 1 cup each 
• Seasoning to taste
• 4 Tbsp Butter (or Margarine) 

Steps: 

Potatoes: 

1. Chop potatoes- peel first if desired, I like the skins on (and additional onions as desired) 
2. Add chopped potatoes to a large pot, and fill with water until all potatoes are covered – add salt for boiling 
3. Bring water to a boil, cooking on medium-high to high
4.  Lower heat to medium, and continue cooking potatoes until they are soft – test using a fork. This typically takes me about 20-25 minutes after the water comes to a boil 
5. Once potatoes are cooked through, remove from heat and drain water from the pot
6. Re-add potatoes to pot on stove and mash, adding in butter, milk. If desired, add in extras like cream cheese or sour cream for additional flavor.  (Measurements of milk and add ins will vary by taste and texture preference, I like mine thicker and use about 1/4 cup of milk and about 2 tbsp butter for this amount of potatoes. Keep in mind, extra butter and seasoning will be added on top, so don’t over do the seasoning…)
7. Mix in seasoning to taste. My favorites are Paprika, Creole Seasoning, Black Pepper, and Garlic Powder. Use your favorites. 
8. Optional: add in the extra chopped yellow onions
9. Grease a skillet or casserole dish with butter or margarine, and spread potatoes evenly across the skillet/ dish

Cheesy Onion Topping: 

1. Peel and Chop Yellow Onions, and cut them to create rings. 
2. Separate the rings and layer onions atop mashed potatoes in the skillet/dish
3. Season to taste. 
4. Spread 8 slices of the margarine/ butter out evenly across the dish to melt into the onions and potatoes below

Bake: 

*Note, please be very careful taking in and out of the oven! Very, very hot liquid and oil will be in the dish/ skillet! 

1. Add a small amount of milk/cream and/or broth to the potatoes to avoid them drying out
2. Cover the skillet/ dish with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes 
3. After 25 minutes, remove the foil to add cheese
4. Add the cheeses, layering cheddar, and Italian mix, and top with parmesan 
5. Re-cover with foil and cook for 10 minutes
6. After 10 minutes, remove the foil and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes, until the cheese is golden/ brown to taste. 

There you have it. 3 different ways I enjoy my potatoes. Give them a try and let me know which one you enjoyed, or share how you make yours! Happy Thanksgiving!