The Best Mashed Potatoes
The key word here is “Gouda”: it takes your mashed potatoes right to the VIP list. This way, please!
Recipe information
Yield
serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
2 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, well scrubbed, cut into quarters
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
3/4 cup half-and-half
1 cup shredded smoked Gouda
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh chives
Preparation
Step 1
Slip the potatoes into a large pot of cold salted water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until tender.
Step 2
Meanwhile, heat butter and half-and-half in a small pot until the butter melts and the mixture is hot.
Step 3
Once the potatoes are cooked, drain well in a colander and then return to the large pot. Turn the heat back on to low, and stir the potatoes to extract moisture from them. Mash the potatoes until smooth, and stir in the hot cream and butter. Add the shredded cheese by the handful, stirring to melt, and season generously with salt and pepper. Stir in the sliced chives. Serve immediately.
Reprinted with permission from The Neelys' Celebration Cookbook by Pat and Gina Nelly. Copyright © 2011 by Pat and Gina Nelly with Anna Volkwein. Excerpted by permission of Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
Pat and Gina Neely are restaurateurs, best-selling authors, popular speakers, and hosts of the Food Network hit series Down Home with the Neelys. They recently opened their first New York City restaurant, Neely's Barbecue Parlor. They live with their daughters in Memphis, where they enjoy cooking at home with family and friends.
Ann Volkwein is a best-selling food and lifestyle author based in New York City and Austin, Texas. Her previous books include: The Arthur Avenue Cookbook, Chinatown New York, Mixt Greens (with Andrew Swallow), and, with Guy Fieri: Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives; More Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives; and Guy Fieri Food.
