Lunch: Extra-Buttery Mashed Spuds

Every taste of these smooth and buttery spuds aims straight for the brain's pleasure center.Drying the cooked potatoes in the pan means that they'll absorb that much more flavor from your herb-infused dairy. Don't skip this step!

Ingredients

4 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, cut into 2" pieces
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups whole milk
3 thyme sprigs, optional
2 bay leaves
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter

Instructions

Place 4 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, cut into 2" pieces, in a large pot and pour in cold water to cover by 1". Add 1 tablespoon kosher salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are very tender but not saturated or crumbly, 20 –25 minutes (boiling will lead to waterlogged pieces).
Drain potatoes, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid if making potatoes ahead. Return potatoes to pot and set over low heat. Gently stir until dry, about 1 minute.
Meanwhile, heat 1 1/2 cups whole milk, 3 thyme sprigs, if desired, 2 bay leaves, and 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until butter is melted. Remove from heat.
Pass hot potatoes through a ricer into a large bowl (if allowed to cool, the potatoes will become gummy).
Remove herbs from warm milk mixture; discard. Gradually add milk mixture to potatoes, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon until combined and smooth; season with salt and pepper.
Serve mashed potatoes with a few pats of butter on top.

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