Country-Style Herbed Mashed Potatoes

• 8 medium-large russet potatoes, washed, cut into quarters, rinsed (to get the starch off the cut parts and prevent gummy potatoes)
• a large pot (with a lid) of salted water (and a couple Tbsps of red wine vinegar) – like pasta water, it should taste like the ocean
• 4 garlic cloves, smashed, peeled
• 1/2 stick of unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup mayo
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed from stem
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary, leaves removed from stem and finely chopped
• 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
• 2 pinches of nutmeg

black pepper

• maybe a cup or so of unsalted chicken stock

1. Ok, super simple. Boil the potatoes and garlic until you start to see the potato skins fall off and you can easily poke a knife through one of them. You don’t want them falling apart and disintegrating, just very tender. Drain the water out of the pot and reserve a bowl full of the boiling liquid. Add the stick of butter into your hot pot of potatoes and garlic and cover with the lid. Let the butter melt down.
2. Once the butter is pretty much melted, start mashing the potatoes (and garlic) by hand with a potato masher. After the potatoes have been mashed up pretty good, add the cream, sour cream, mayo, herbs, nutmeg and a few grinds of black pepper. Keep mashing by hand until smooth. If the potatoes seem dry, taste them. If they’re salty enough, then add a little unsalted chicken stock. If they need salt, then add some of your boiling liquid instead (it was heavily salted). Add like 1/2 cup at a time and keep mashing by hand until it reaches a consistency and saltiness that you’re happy with. If you reach a good consistency but still need salt, add a few pinches and mix again. Transfer the potatoes to a dish and serve hot.
3. Easy, right? They’re fluffy and flavorful, and since everything is done on the stove in one pot, that’s one less thing you have to rotate through your overworked oven on Thanksgiving. And smart little you put the cornbread stuffing and asparagus casserole together the night before, so you can just make the potatoes while those are both baking.
4. As mentioned, these potatoes have enough flavor to stand on their own, but that doesn’t mean they have to. I’ll be back tomorrow to share how to make an awesome dijon gravy using the drippings from your turkey. Just thinking about the gravy makes my mouth water, because it makes everything you put it on extra amazing. Check ya laterz.