Stand-Alone Mashed Potatoes

I received some requests for my stand-alone mashed potatoes, here they are. They are my go-to side with BBQ. They fit the theme well because they taste good just as they are. They don’t need gravy or any other topping. You just eat them as is. They are not an exact science, so I will give you the bones of the recipe and you can take it from there.

You will need:

• 6 or so potatoes, peeled and diced. If you dice your potatoes they will cook through on the stove much faster.
• cheese
• milk
• butter (real butter, not margarine)
• sour cream
• salt and pepper

Boil your potatoes until cooked through. Drain and toss them in your mixer. Your mixer will give you smooth, creamy mashed potatoes. I let mine mix before I have even added anything. Then I take anywhere between a half stick to a full stick of butter and melt it in the microwave (I said these were good, not good for you). Pour the butter into your turning mixer. Then add about a half a cup of cheese. The cheese should melt quickly with the hot potatoes. Then, still with your mixer turner, add milk, a little bit at a time until the potatoes fluff up. Finally, I add about a tablespoon of sour cream. You can leave out the sour cream if you feel so inclined, but it helps the creaminess. Salt and pepper the potatoes. I like to use a little bit of red pepper too. The result should be fluffy, no lump mashed potatoes that are ready to be eaten without gravy!

So random tips:
It is important to add the milk after the cheese, so the potatoes will be hot enough to melt the cheese almost instantly.
Allowing the mixer to turn the whole time you are preparing them will allow the potatoes to be lump free.