I finally got it - how to make good mashed potatoes

This past Thursday after a week of subsisting on granola and practically nothing else, (I loose my appetite when I am stressed) I decided that I was going to make myself a fabulous down home comfort food rich meal. I had a hankering for mashed potatoes, caramelized onions, meatloaf (recipe to follow in future post), and string beans.

In the past I have had mixed results with my mashed potatoes. Sometimes they have turned out fabulous and other times not so fabulous. See most of my comfort food cooking has been learned through observation of my grandparents who were both wonderful cooks. However, I did not grow up eating mashed potatoes. The only time we had potatoes were as home fries with breakfast and even that was rare. My grandfather came from down south and the choice of starch where he was from was rice. So we had rice every day. And the ironic thing is my husband has to practically beg me to make it now and if it wasn't for the fact that we have a rice cooker I wouldn't dream of making it.

Back to the potatoes. I love their starchy goodness, especially when they are creamy and loaded down with butter, salt and pepper. But I have never properly learned to make them till now. Thank you Martha!  The secret is using Yukon gold potatoes and my Kitchen Aid mixer. Not a potato ricer the Kitchen Aid mixer. I have never made potatoes so smooth  or as creamy as the ones that came out of the mixer. No lumps what so ever.

And with the addition of the caramelized onions I was running through the house in glee. That just put them over the top. Roe thought I had lost my mind. But I knew they were good when he went back down stairs at midnight for a plate of mashed potatoes.

Mashed Potatoes (adapted from MS)

• 2 pounds russet, Yukon gold, or long white potatoes (Yukon Golds were perfect)
• 1 tablespoon salt, plus more to taste
• 1 cup milk, or cream (I used skim milk and they came out great, next time I will try cream)
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Peel and cut potatoes into 1 1/2-inch-thick slices. Place in a medium saucepan. Cover with cold water; add 1 tablespoon salt. bring to a simmer. Keep potatoes at a low simmer until a knife slips in and out easily. Drain potatoes in a colander. Place milk in a small saucepan over medium-high heat.

Transfer hot, drained potatoes to bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed, until most lumps have disappeared, about 1 minute. Add butter; mix until blended. On low speed, add hot milk in a slow stream, then add pepper and salt to taste. Mix to combine.

Fold in caramelized onions.

Caramelized Onions

• 1 1/2 large white onions sliced
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• pinch of salt
• pinch of sugar (optional)
• White wine

Heat olive oil in pan. Add in onions and stir to coat them with oil. As onions cook they will begin to become translucent, add in pinch of salt and sugar (the salt will aid in caramelization). Onions will begin to brown. Continue to stir. If they stick to pan deglaze with a small amount of wine. Cook until onions are desired color and taste. Onions will take about 20 minutes to caramelize.