A Moderate Life

Easy One Pot Loaded Mashed Potatoes

22

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Loaded Mashed Potatoes photo by alex clark

Awesome Loaded Mashed Potatoes with Easy Clean Up!

As you all know, I cook with passion and abandon on most occasions. I adore just throwing things in a pot and seeing what happens, but this is definitely not the case for Thanksgiving. The recipes on this beloved of all holidays (to me) are tried and true and tried again. The joy of adding to the myriad layers of food memories and family connections is just too great to make major changes.  My sister brings something, my mother brings something. It is always the same something, and the only time a new dish makes an appearance is if someone marries into the family!

That is, until this year! I am simply SICK of the same old mashed potatoes and I wanted to liven things up a bit! I had a huge bag of Preque Isle Maine gold potatoes, a pound of bacon and a big block of raw Amish cheddar cheese, some raw cream that was so thick it was already liked whipped cream and a big tub of raw butter. It was time for a change and so, I started to experiment.

I knew this dish had to be so super spectacular that it would put the idea of plain old mashed potatoes to bed in people’s minds, and quite frankly, with all this cooking I have been doing, and experimenting and recipe creation, I have this feeling that my family is “expecting” something wonderful, and I don’t want to disappoint them. So, into the kitchen I went, but this time, instead of following the traditional recipes I went in armed only with my intution and passion and abandon!

Easy One Pot Loaded Mashed Potatoes

Serves 4-6 (Can be doubled for a big group)

8 Large waxy potatoes like Yukon Gold or red potatoes washed, peeled and cubed (you can leave on the peel if you like)

Sea Salt

1/4 Cup Cream

1/4 Cup Whole Milk

1/4 Cup Butter

3-4 Cloves garlic smashed and chopped

1/2 Lb. uncured apple smoked bacon cut into small pieces

1 Tbs. Organic extra virgin coconut oil

1 Cup shredded cheddar cheese

Small bunch fresh chives snipped or

Small bunch fresh parsley snipped depending on your preference

Sea Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 250 Degrees. If you are cooking other dishes, you can simply use the left over heat after the other recipes are taken out of the oven. In a deep oven proof pot with a tight cover heat salted water and potatoes to a boil, turn down heat to achieve a rolling boil and cook until fork tender, about 10 minutes. Drain the potatoes into a colander and set aside.

Rinse the pot quickly with water to remove excess starch and place on medium heat to dry. Add in the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally until the fat is rendered. Drain into a glass jar for future use and then add the 1 Tbs. of coconut oil and turn the heat up slightly to really crisp the bacon. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel covered plate to drain. Add the butter over medium heat and cook until milted, then  add in the garlic and saute until fragrant.

Pour in the milk and stir to warm and then add in the cream and whip it all together well over medium heat until hot but not close to boiling.   Working in small batches, add in the cooked potatoes and mash with a hand masher (or use an electric wisk or hand held mixer, but be very careful as these items tend to allow the potatoes to be over beaten, breaking open all of the starch in the potato and the consistency turns very soupy and not at all thick and creamy), mixing the potatoes and cream mixture to blend together well before adding and mashing in more potatoes.

When all the potatoes have been mashed, give them a good stir and then salt and pepper to taste.  Push the potatoes down the side of the pot and then wipe the sides clean with a paper towel. Sprinkle on the cheddar cheese, top with the bacon bits and then the fresh herb of your choice. Cover with the pot lid and place in the preheated oven for about 10-15 minutes or until the cheese has melted, but is not bubbling. You do not want to “cook” the potatoes any further, the only point of being in the oven is to melt the cheese and heat the bacon and keep the dish warm.

Simply place the pot on a trivet in your buffet for guests to serve themselves or serve using  a spatula to cut the cheese and place on a plate like a slice of awesome bacon, cheese potato pie!

Well, the verdict from my Pre-Thanksgiving taste testers, aka my clark clan? It was AWESOME. I also absolutely loved that I could get the entire recipe done and complete in one pot, well, ok, two including the collander! This dish will become a beloved part of our Thanksgiving tradition, that is for certain!

This recipe is a part of the Hearth and Soul Hop-Volume 22, The Side Dish Showdown, Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays, Dr. Laura’s Tasty Tuesdays, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Tasty Tuesdays, Tuesday Night Supper Club, Tuesdays at the Table and Tuesday Parade of Food.  Please check out my other featured blog hop recipes. This recipe was also shared on Tasteologie!

Hearth and Soul Hop Badge photo by alex clark

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