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More Thanksgiving recipes: The lowly tater.

© Lisa Henshall

This week we are talking about everyone’s favorite comfort food: potatoes. And, this Thanksgiving is the perfect holiday for the lowly spud. After the September 11 attacks, most of us are turning to something for a source of comfort – family, pets and even food. A recent A.C. Nielsen survey of grocery store sales showed a new rise in comfort food purchases. It showed that snack food sales have increased nearly 12.4 percent in September over the previous year and the sale of instant potatoes increased nearly 13 percent, according to Information Resources Inc.

Is anyone surprised by this? When you are sad, sick, stressed, in a hurry – it doesn’t matter – potatoes are usually the food of choice. They are quick to prepare, easy to cook in multiple forms and they are cheap. And they taste good, too. Potatoes are a great side dish for the holiday season. Let’s look at some traditional and unusual recipes this week!

Enjoy and let’s get cooking everyone!

Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Not much tastes better than garlic-laced potatoes with plenty of butter and a bit of Grandma’s gravy. Since this is a popular side dish, I’ve upped this recipe to serve 12 people.

You will need :
24 potatoes, peeled and diced
6 cloves garlic, very finely minced
1 cup of butter
1-1/2 cups whole milk
Salt and pepper to taste

Bring a huge stockpot of water to boil, add potatoes and let them boil until soft (about 45 minutes). To cut boiling time in half, use two pots. Place potatoes, garlic, butter and milk in large bowl. Mash with a potato masher until smooth or to your desired consistency. This may take some time, but hand-mashed potatoes are the best. When you use a blender or a mixer, they tend to get a shiny, thick and gluey texture. This will help you to have airy and fluffy mashed potatoes – if you’re willing to put in a bit of elbow grease! Serve hot!

Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes
Talk about rich!!! This is a great side dish, especially if you have a lot of salty or spicy items on your menu to compliment its sweetness. This recipe serves 12 very hungry relatives.

You will need :

12 pounds potatoes, peeled and diced
Two, eight-ounce, packages of cream cheese
Two cups sweet cream, unsalted butter

Bring your cream cheese and butter to room temperature – or at least warm them until they are very soft. Next bring a huge stockpot of water to boil, add potatoes and let them boil until soft (about 45 minutes). To cut boiling time in half, use two pots. Drain, and transfer to a large bowl. Fold in the softened cream cheese and mash with a potato masher until smooth. Again, when you use a blender or a mixer, they tend to get a shiny, thick and gluey texture – even with the addition of the cream cheese. Add the butter and blend with masher or large fork. Serve hot!

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