The Derry Farm's Herbed Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes

The Original Recipe is Here!

o   2 Idaho potatoes

o   2 white potatoes

o   1-2 cloves garlic

o   3-4 Tbsp Butter

o   Half and half

o   1/4c – ½ c Sour cream

o   Salt and pepper

o   4oz Herbed goat cheese

§  Add 1-2 cloves of garlic to pot of water, bring to boil. 

§  Meanwhile, peel and cube potatoes, add to boiling water. Cook until fork-tender and drain.

§  Add butter, sour cream, salt and pepper and mash. Add half and half as needed to reach desired consistency. Add in goat cheese and mix.

§  Serve with gravy or alone!

This is my own recipe adapted from my mother's way of making mashed potatoes. I love her mashed potatoes, they are that perfect restaurant texture and so rich! I add in a few things to take it to a new level. Pairing it with this recipe for gravy made from this turkey on Thanksgiving is just my little piece of heaven. These mashed potatoes are so good, we even eat them without gravy. I actually make extra on the day of Thanksgiving because we'll eat some before we even make it to dinner, ha!

These will heat up well in the oven, so you can make it a day ahead. I actually make them right after I get the turkey in the oven and use the starchy hot water to combine with a concentrated stock packet to use for making the gravy, stove-top stuffing, etc. Using the starchy potato water is something my mom taught me to do (she boils the turkey innards, chunks of onion, and celery stalks to make an actual stock), this year was the first time I just used it with the broth concentrate packets instead of using the innards and it was honestly a nice shortcut. You can actually just use the starchy potato water as-is, too, it just won't add as much depth of flavor.

My Notes:

Let's talk about the goat cheese, if that's not your thing, you can absolutely leave it out and just add cream cheese instead. I suggest adding some herb blends if you do, as that is where a lot of the unique flavor comes from.

Potatoes, I honestly just use what I have on hand. Ideally, you want to use two different types to get some more complex flavors. This year (2019) I used some gold potatoes and russets. Last year I did this as written. They were both amazing. The key is not 1) not overcook the potatoes (if you cube them and boil, check them after about 8-10 minutes) and 2) don't over-mash them. I do not like the smooth, whipped style of mashed potatoes (think KFC), but if that is your thing, go for it. I prefer mine to have texture and to "mound" up nicely to create a little bowl for my gravy. If you like this, be gentle when draining the potatoes and add everything to the bowl before you smush anything. The potatoes will mash naturally as you stir things in. Taste as you go, these measurements are approximations and you should adjust the various dairy products to fit your taste and texture preferences.

Speaking of dairy products - I have made this recipe using whole lactose-free milk instead of half-and-half. It's slightly less rich, but it's also less fat and more friendly to mildly lactose intolerant tummies! (2020 Edit: Lactose-free Half and Half is now available from Land o' Lakes and Organic Valley!!) If you or someone eating this has a severe intolerance, however, you might find the butter and sour cream to still be too much. I recommend this recipe from Natalie over at Tastes Lovely as a great option for those who need a totally dairy-free recipe.