Mashed red potatoes

Mmmm... There's nothing like setting a steaming bowl of mashed potatoes on the table and seeing everyone start to smile as they anticipate their first bite. And there's definitely nothing like seeing the look on their faces when they savor their first forkful of creamy deliciousness.

Of the myriad of versions of mashed potatoes I've made in my life, this recipe takes the cake. Or the potato.

Mashed Red Potatoes

2+ lbs red potatoes, washed and quartered
1/2 c butter
1/4 c milk
1/4 c buttermilk
1/4 c sour cream
Salt and pepper to taste

- Bring water and a dash of salt to boil in a large pot. The boiling part is important if we want to make creamy potatoes! Add the cut potatoes (with peels still attached) and boil for 10-15 minutes, until tender but still firm enough that they don't fall apart.

- Drain potatoes and put in a large bowl. Start mashing! This is a good time to take out your daily frustrations. After mashing around half of the potatoes, add the butter, cut into chunks. If you want to make this a bit lighter, feel free to cut down on the butter. I make the full-on delicious variety for special holidays and then reduce the butter the rest of the time. But, if you want to go for the whole stick, I won't tell.

- Add the milk, buttermilk, and sour cream. I always use reduced-fat versions of these, but I have no doubt it would take even more amazing (is this possible?) with the full-fat versions. And as always, don't worry if you don't have one or more of the ingredients (well, except for the potatoes... they're kind of important). The only reason I started using buttermilk was because I wanted to add 1/2 cup milk, but only had 1/4 cup (well, I had 1 cup, but the kids needed milk in the morning). I like how it adds a bit of tang, as does the sour cream.

- Add salt and pepper if you'd like. I sometimes omit this, especially if I've used salted butter. The red potatoes taste great on their own. Also, you can toss in some roasted garlic (or garlic powder or salt, if you don't have any garlic to roast!) for a twist on the original version.

Bon Appétit!