Do-ahead Mashed Potatoes

Total Time: 1 hr 35 mins Preparation Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 10 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 9 medium potatoes (3 pounds)
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup whipping cream (heavy)
• 1/2 cup butter or 1/2 cup margarine
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Recipe

• 1 scrub potatoes.
• 2 leave skins on, if desired, or peel thinly and remove eyes.
• 3 cut into large pieces.
• 4 heat 1 inch water (salted if desired) to boiling in 3-quart saucepan; add potato pieces.
• 5 cover and heat to boiling; reduce heat.
• 6 cook covered 20 to 25 minutes or until tender; drain.
• 7 shake pan gently over low heat to dry potatoes.
• 8 heat milk, whipping cream, butter, salt and pepper in 1-quart saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until butter is melted.
• 9 measure out 1/4 cup of the milk mixture; cover and refrigerate.
• 10 add remaining milk mixture in small amounts to potatoes in medium bowl, mashing with potato masher or electric mixer after each addition.
• 11 (amount of milk needed to make potatoes smooth and fluffy depends on kind of potatoes used.) beat vigorously until potatoes are light and fluffy.
• 12 spray 2-quart casserole with cooking spray.
• 13 spoon potatoes into casserole.
• 14 bake immediately, or cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours.
• 15 heat oven to 350 degrees.
• 16 pour reserved milk mixture over potatoes.
• 17 bake uncovered 40 to 45 minutes or until potatoes are hot.
• 18 just before serving, stir potatoes.
• 19 variation: love garlic?
• 20 peel and finely chop 1 or 2 cloves and add to the potatoes before mashing.