Mashed Potatoes

My family loves mashed potatoes.  They are a such a great allergy-friendly side that you can adjust to fit almost any diet!  For Christmas, both my husband (egg allergy) and brother-in-law (gluten allergy) are usually together.  This is one of our go to sides for Christmas dinner!  They both love mashed potatoes and we can make them without having to make any adjustments for either of them.  Now if you have a dairy allergy present, you do have to make sure to use dairy-free margarine and some kind of non-dairy milk substitute or broth.

Mashed potatoes go great with these dishes:   Smothered Steak {slow-cooker} (EF), Teriyaki Chicken (EF, DF, GF) and Herb Turkey Breast {slow-cooker} (EF, DF, GF).

Mashed Potatoes

3 pounds red potatoes

2 quarts cool water

1 stick margarine*

¾ c milk or non-dairy substitute*

1 t salt

1 t freshly ground black pepper

 

Peel most of the skin from the potatoes, leaving some.  I like the way having a little peel tastes but it also let’s everyone know the mashed potatoes are made from real, fresh potatoes!   Cut up the potatoes into about 1 inch cubes, place in a large pot or small stock pot.  Cover potatoes will cool or room temperature water.  Bring potatoes to a boil.  Boil for about 25 minutes or until potatoes pierce easily with a fork.  Remove pot from heat and drain potatoes.  Return drained potatoes to pot but off of the heat.  Add margarine, milk, salt and pepper to the potatoes.  Mash with a potato masher or an electric hand mixer until smooth.  Serve mashed potatoes warm.

Serves 9-12

*  I vary on these two ingredients.  For special occasions, especially if we are entertaining guests, I use cream and real butter.  Mmmm.  Those aren’t the healthiest options.  So, I don’t use them every time I make mashed potatoes.  Sometimes, I even use skim milk.  Note:  You may have to adjust the liquid, depending on what you are using.  If you are using cream, you may need a little more to get the desired consistency.  If you are using skim milk, you may need a little less.  For my dairy-free friends, you can also use chicken or vegetable broth in place of the milk or a non-dairy substitute of your choice.  But I would stay away from the sweeter non-dairy milks for this recipe.