Thursday 2 May 2013

Fully Loaded Mashed Potatoes



* This is my disclaimer.  The recipe that I am about
 to share is not for the health conscious. 
 If you are looking for a DELICIOUS recipe,
 look no farther.  If you are looking for healthy,
 you have been warned... this is not it~!

WARNING... the recipe listed below will cause excessive drooling, groans of delight, family members begging for seconds, and then begging you to make it again.


    I feel better for having given you the above disclaimer, and warning.  My arteries are clogging up, just from writing this!  It is however sinfully good.  Now that I have shared the side effects and the health risks, lets get on with it.

You will need...
1  5 pound bag of russet potatoes (or any potato that you like, I just really like the dry flavour of russet)
1 250 ml container of sour cream                                       1/4 cup of butter
1/2 a brick of cream cheese                                                1 1/4 cups of old cheddar cheese grated
1/4 cup Asiago cheese                                                        1/2 cup of finely chopped chives
salt and pepper                                                                    bacon, lots of delicious bacon (or half pack)



    For many years now I have really wanted a cast iron frying pan.  Many times I have picked one off of the self of a store, and stood there thinking about it.  Eventually I would put it back (I don't really know why, but I think that we have established that I have mental problems).  For my birthday this year, my wonderful husband bought me one for my birthday (I think he was tired of me picking them up and sighing in the stores).  Through trial and error I have cooked a good few things in that pan.  I have discovered that it is a thousand times better than any pot or pan that I have ever owned.  It cleans up easier than teflon, and makes everything taste better.  I don't know the scientific reasoning for this, but honestly it makes food taste better.  This is most especially true for bacon.  It frys up bacon to perfection... and you will want lots of bacon for this recipe.  It is that amazing mixture of crispy and soft, in other words pure perfection.



    When I make mashed potatoes I really like to use russet potatoes, you know that ones that come all wrapped in foil for baked potatoes.  I prefer russets because they hold together better.  I also really like that nice dry taste they have.  I make them in my dutch oven, and use most of the 5 pound bag of potatoes.  I cook mine with about 1 teaspoon of salt.  As to how long to cook them, that I'm not sure of.  I think it takes about 15 minutes, I just keep going and poking them with a fork to see if they are tender yet.
    While the potatoes are cooking you may want to grate up some cheese.  You could cook your bacon while the potatoes are boiling, but I like to do mine before I make the potatoes.  Be sure to save some of the bacon drippings (this sounds disgusting, but oh Mama is it good).  While my potatoes are boiling I grate up some old cheddar cheese, and a little bit of Asiago cheese.  These two are strong tasting cheeses and really bring the flavour to the whole thing.  I grated about 1 and a half cups of cheese.  You can adjust this to suit your cheese tastes.  When the cheese is all grated up, pop it back into the fridge (other wise it gets all soft and gross looking).
    When the potatoes are all cooked, drain them.  I like to put 1/4 cup of butter in the bottom of my dutch oven, and then pour the potatoes on top of that, it really melts well like that.  I use my potato masher and then my mix master to whip them.  I add about 250 ml or half of a container of sour cream.  I then add half brick of cream cheese, and mix it all up with the mix master.  Using a wooden spoon I then mixed in the crumbled bacon, about 1/4 cup of the bacon drippings (sounds gross, tastes great) and the chives, salt and pepper, and last but not least the cheese.
    I get rave reviews from my family when I serve these potatoes.  I don't serve them too often because basically they are a heart attack waiting to happen, but they are sinfully good.  Make them for your family and let me know what they think.


So here's where I annoy you and ask you to hit that pink button, 
scroll down, look for my shoe, and click the vote button.  
I just really would like to make it to the top 25,
 and I can't do that without your help.  
Thanks



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