Rookie Thanksgiving: Mashed Potatoes

It's potato week!  And, word of warning, it's not weight loss week.  When I was compiling recipes for this challenge, I was on the look-out for recipes that allowed for making things ahead of time - I remember my mom and aunt mashing potatoes until the food was on the table and always being stressed with the last minute task.  And I'm lazy.  Also, I don't really like plain old potatoes, much to my Irish father-in-law's dismay.  But Mr. B? He looooves potatoes.  So, to appease the man I love, I've learned to make mashed potatoes that I'll eat - Read: I like to fatten the crap out of them.  Which allows them to be made ahead, and thus, perfect for this challenge.  Here's how I make mashed potatoes:

Twice-Baked Mashed Potatoes

So here's the beauty of these babies.  You can make them when you have time - up to two days ahead of an event - and you can customize the crap out of them.  Peel the potatoes then boil them about 20 minutes.  Mash 'em up with milk, butter, salt and pepper.

Then doctor them up to your heart's desire (please note that the doctoring is generally not a heart doctor's desire).  I would recommend sour cream, onion, green pepper, green onion, and cheddar cheese.  But you can do it up fancy with bacon and cream cheese and the vegetables of your choice.  You can also use fat-free cheeses and sour creams.  The world is your oyster.

Saute your veggies in the oil and combine with the mashed potatoes, and your doctoring ingredients (sour cream, cream cheese, etc) and top with more cheese if, like me, you live for cheese and don't have a cholesterol check in the next 60 days.

Set in a baking dish and refrigerate until your event (within two days - let's not serve really old food on Thanksgiving, mmmkay?) or bake immediately.  Bake, uncovered at 350 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes.  Run 2 miles the next day to help offset the damage you did.  Now it's time to link-up!

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3. Leave some comment love for your fellow Rookie Thanksgiving challengers. We're doing this to cheer each other on as we learn to cook a Thanksgiving meal.