I really really love potatoes. In most any form, but especially mashed or twice baked. At Thanksgiving, I put way more mashed potatoes and stuffing on my plate than turkey (or ham or whatever meat we are having). But my dad always makes the potatoes, it seems, so although I love them (and I have been called upon occasionally to mash them when we are rushing to prepare the feast), I really didn’t quite know how to make REALLY good mashed potatoes.
So you can imagine I was totally on top of the world when Tina at Mom’s Crazy Cooking chose mashed potatoes for our Crazy Cooking Challenge for November. I SO needed to find and master the killer recipe for mashed potatoes!
I did a lot of searching around, but I didn’t want one of those made with tons of cream and butter or fattening cream cheese. I wanted something completely delicious, incredible tasting, very creamy, but yet healthy.
I found the answer at Eclectic Recipes: Buttermilk and Garlic! This is it. Seriously.
Garlic Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes
These potatoes are creamy delicious goodness from Eclectic Recipes. I did scale down the recipe a bit since I was making them for myself, so just add more potatoes, garlic, and buttermilk if you have lots of hungry people to feed!
- 4 large potatoes (I used 2 large reds, 1 yukon gold, and 1 purple potato)
- 2 cloves garlic
- About 1/2 cup buttermilk (as much as needed for creamy goodness)
- 2 T. butter
- 1 teaspoon sea salt or Red Robin Seasoning
- Fresh snipped chives (or dried if you have no fresh), for garnish
Directions:
- Bring a saucepan of water and the kosher salt to a boil. Peel potatoes, if desired. Cut potatoes in similarly sized chunks, and add to boiling water. Make sure the chunks are pretty large. If using small potatoes, just boil whole. Add garlic cloves. Boil the potatoes and garlic over medium heat, until they are very tender and pierce easily with a fork.
- Drain potatoes, and add back to the saucepan. Place the potatoes back on the warm burner, and allow the extra water to evaporate. Mash them up with a potato masher, process in a food mill, or use a ricer. (I had to use my pastry cutter because I don’t have a potato masher … can you believe it? But it worked really well.)
- When potatoes are mashed, add butter, and stir to combine. Add buttermilk until you get the desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remember not to over mix, or the potatoes can get a glue like consistency.
- Top with a small pat of butter and some snipped chives. Watch the butter melt and ooze over the potatoes. Serve to your drooling guests.
There are a couple other good-looking mashed potato recipes out there I found on my quest for the perfect mashed potato that I would like to try someday as well:
Click here to see the entire list of mashed potato recipes in the November Crazy Cooking Challenge …
This recipe was also shared at Recipe of the Week: Potatoes and Show & Tell Saturday.
17 comments
This looks amazing! Going to try this and add some gravy as well 🙂
Looks beautiful, Ann! Wonderful choice for the CCC.
Very delicious looking.
If you haven’t already I’d love for you to check out my Crazy Cooking Challenge entry Aloo Tikki
Lisa~~
Cook Lisa Cook
Looks great, wonderful pictures, too! I’ve never tried purple potatoes–I’m going to have to given those a try!
Thanks everyone! Ashley, my dad grows the purple potatoes … he tells me that they have as many antioxidants as blueberries! I just love their color …
I think they are typically called blue potatoes, but they are definitely purple!
I’ve never seen a purple potato before, amazing, and what a great way to add some color!
ooooo purple potatoes! pretty! and that a good looking dish! Great Choice for THE CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE!!
I just love your combination of Buttermilk and garlic to make a great Mashed Potato. Great recipe for the Crazy Cooking Challenge, it looks delicious! Hope you are having a great day.
Miz Helen
#8
Thats look beautiful Ann, never tried the mashed potato with buttermilk, usually do it with sour cream and sometimes with yogurt, sure will try it with the buttermilk, thank for sharing the recipe.
We made a mashed potato with buttermilk too, and I loved the tang it added. I’ve never seen a purple potato before — quite fun 🙂
They look delicious!!
I love mashed potatoes with buttermilk! Great recipe!
Potatoes would definitely be included in my last meal on Earth heheh. I love the idea of combining different varieties of potatoes! I have a 5 lb bag of taters sitting in my cupboard, and this looks like it might be a good use for them 🙂
Whoa I’ve never used purple potatoes before… I had to do a double take lol. Those are some pretty mashed potatoes 🙂
I’m #71!
http://steaknpotatoeskindagurl.blogspot.com/2011/11/crazy-cooking-challenge-and-loaded.html
Whoa…I have never seen purple potatoes rather havent even heard about it 🙂
I enjoy Mashed Potato…perfect comfort food….YUMMY
My dad grows them and I think they are SO beautiful! I have never seen them in the grocery store, but I have found them in seed catalogs. The great thing about them is once you’ve planted them once, you can use the sprouted ones to plant new ones next year, so (if you are a great gardener like my mom and dad are) you have a never-ending supply of purple potatoes! I’ve planted a couple sprouts too and mine don’t grow as big, but they grow!
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