Pioneer Woman Stovetop Mashed Potatoes

There are literally thousands of mashed potato recipes out there, and I want to try them all! But this particular recipe is quick, easy, and oh so yummy! As the Pioneer Woman said; “Making mashed potatoes doesn’t have to be a big production! Peel the potatoes or don’t peel them, wear high heels or don’t… it’s all up to you!”

I made these mashed potatoes for dinner, and my husband; the potato connoisseur, loved them…

INGREDIENTS (makes 6-8 servings):
3 pounds Gold Potatoes
1 stick Butter
1 cup Whole Milk
1/4 cup Heavy Cream
4 ounces Cream Cheese
Salt and Black Pepper, to taste
Creole Seasoning, to taste (optional)

The Step-by-Step — INSTRUCTIONS:
With a vegetable peeler, peel 3 pounds of Gold Potatoes.

“The Great Potato Skin Controversy”: Peeling the potato skin off partially, entirely, or not at all is really a matter of taste and preference. I love potato skin in my mashed potatoes! But for this recipe I only left a little skin on; I like the texture it gives the final product! But you can completely peel the potatoes, if that’s what you’re into.

Cut the potatoes into small wedges. They cook more quickly and more evenly this way.

In a pot or large sauce pan, boil the potatoes in water over medium-high heat for approximately 25 minutes, until fork-tender… If you don’t know what “fork-tender” means, then keep reading.

I dropped one… and Charlie came to the rescue…

… But she REALLY didn’t like it!

The Ol’ Fork-Tender Potato Test: When the potatoes are cooked through properly a fork should easily slide into the potatoes with no resistance; and the potatoes should almost, but not completely, fall apart. If the fork meets with any resistance then the potatoes aren’t ready.

Pour the potatoes into a colander to drain them, then set them aside.

Return the same pot to the stovetop over medium-heat and add 1 stick of butter.

Then one cup of whole milk…

Followed by 1/4 cup of heavy cream…

Then a glorious 4 ounces of cream cheese…

Housewife Hero Note: You can add 8 ounces of cream cheese if you want… I won’t tell. Go ahead, treat yo self!

Throw in some salt, pepper, and Creole Seasoning, to taste…

And stir to heat the mixture. Continue stirring until the butter and cream cheese has melted, and the mixture is well combined.

Then turn off the heat… and throw in the potatoes!

Begin mashing the potatoes with a potato masher… I decided to add more seasoning! Life on the wild side!

Mash the potatoes until they have reached your preferred consistency. Put a lid on the pan to keep to potatoes warm, and splash in a few tablespoons of cream if you need to reheat them.

Serve, and enjoy! On this particular night I had my Stovetop Mashed Potatoes with Chicken Marsala (get the recipe here)… you can see the Marsala sauce cooking in the background! But you can have these Stovetop Mashed Potatoes as a side item to anything you desire; Meatloaf, Pork Chops, Salisbury Steak… the possibilities are endless!

… and here’s my final Chicken Marsala product!

Cookbook Used for Stovetop Mashed Potato Recipe: The Pioneer Woman Cooks: DINNERTIME!

Cook Long and Prosper. Love, the Uncustomary Housewife