While Turkey is King at Christmas Feasts, Ham is still the Uber-Roast at Western-World New Year’s Celebrations. And different sides take their place in the menu ‘chorus line’. With that in mind, we proudly present a newstalgic take on Classic Mashed Potatoes!
It’s a casserole!
Everyone loves Mom’s Classic Mashed Potatoes. But the modestly-named Best Mashed Potato Casserole featured by Delish this month is all that and so much more!
Well worth the effort…
The BMPC involves a certain amount of extra work compared to classic mashed potatoes. But once you’ve tried it, you’ll agree that the effort is worth it.
You (and your guests) will love the added flavours and textures that elevate potatoes to an art form!
What you need
The detailed recipe includes all the tips, hacks, whys and wherefores. But I can’t resist spotlighting some of the ingredients that make this dish so special: Cream Cheese, Herbs, Bread crumbs and garlic.
The herbs include thyme, bay leaves, and chives (for garnish). But chop lots of chives. They really do add to the overall flavour profile of the dish, and should be included in every spoonful served.
Milk, butter, salt and pepper come as no surprise. But I was surp[rised by the quantities of each called for. Make this casserole as directed the first time. But adjust these ingredients in future to suit your own preference .
Cream Cheese is a genius ingredient, I think. But it’s nothing new. I’ve seen many mashed potato ‘recipes’ that call for it. Just not in as large a quantity as this one does!
Eggs are initially unexpected. But with all that dairy in there, you might as well add eggs and make the dish a sort of pie filling / custard.
Make ahead?
Go ahead! You can put the casserole together the day before and bake on the big day. With the pro-viso that you keep the bread crumb topping separate from the body of the casserole in the fridge overnight to avoid losing it’s crispy crunch.
Note also, that cold, refrigerated bread crumbs will take longer in the oven to crisp up and become gloriously golden. Plan to extend baking time by another 20 minutes or so…
My take
If you and your guests have a really strong sentimental attachment to Classic Mashed Potatoes, go ahead and make them, as usual.
But consider adding a little something (or somethings) extra – as suggested in this newstalgic recipe… If nothing else, try stirring in half a brick (4 oz. / 115 grams) of Cream Cheese. It will subtly enhance the flavour of the dish AND produce the creamiest mashed potatoes you’ve every made!
~ Maggie J.