Jen's Quick Tips: Rosemary Mashed Potatoes

I was recently asked if I had any mashed potato recipes, and my response was: "Yes, mash potatoes and add whatever you want."

Really. Cheeses (thanks, Jaci), other veg, ground turkey, bacon obviously. Anything savory can be paired with mashed potatoes.That is the beauty of the mash.

But, if you want to make yours just little bit special, here is a helpful trick to take mashed potatoes to the next level.

When boiling the potatoes, add a generous amount of rosemary sprigs (the more the better in my opinion).

After the potatoes are softened (usually about 25 minutes) carefully remove the rosemary leaving behind just a few clues that it was there.

This will give your potatoes an extra winter-y taste without being overbearing.

Root mash

I've been obsessed with making mashed potatoes this week (fatty as heck, I know, but whatever). To mix things up a bit while still satisfying my cravings, I created this recipe using turnips, green onions and carrots. As I've mentioned before, carrots are a great way to add subtle flavor and have a huge impact on presentation.

Root Mash
Ingredients:
Small Bunch of turnips (5-6)
8-10 baby carrots
2 big garlic cloves crushed and sliced
1 1/2 cup green onion stems
Salt and Butter to preference

Prep:
Turnips and carrots boil until soften (usually about 20 minutes)
Add garlic about half way through
Drain completely
Add butter and salt and mash in
Mash in chives
Add butter on top, cover until ready to eat then stir in before serving
And voila! Pictured below with cranberry dijon sauce (From Bon Appetite 11/09) and drumsticks with an Austin, Tx rub.

Note: one of the best investments for holiday cooking is a masher. Other than a knife to chop the veggies, it's the only tool I use in mashes. Check out these selections from local, independent kitchen store: Kitchen Kapers