Aunt Shirley's Famous Creamy Mashed Potatoes

 

These are the mashed potatoes from Food Charlatan that go with the best pot roast ever!  My only recommendation is to halve the recipe - five pounds of potatoes makes A LOT of mashed potatoes.  And while they are completely awesome, the first time the boyfriend made them we had way more potatoes than we needed for the amount of roast (as in the meat was gone, but we still had tons of potatoes).  Besides, they are fairly easy and you can always make another batch of them if you do end up needing more the next night.

Aunt Shirley's Famous Creamy Mashed Potatoes

Serves 10-12    

My Aunt Shirley is famous for her mashed potatoes! They are SO creamy, fluffy, and have TONS of flavor. They are like soft pillowy clouds that melt in your mouth. I could describe them forever but you're just going to have to make them! A very unique recipe.

Ingredients

• 8-10 large russet potatoes (5 pounds), peeled
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh garlic, smashed and minced
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter
• 2 tablespoons Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base*
• 1 to 2 teaspoons Lawry's seasoned salt (taste it)
• fresh minced parsley, to garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. 
2. Peel the potatoes and chop them into 1 or 2 inch pieces. (See photos) 
3. Chop the onion. Smash and mince the garlic.  (You can use garlic from the jar in a pinch, but fresh is always better.)
4. Add the potatoes, onions, and garlic to the pot of boiling water. Bring it back up to a boil and then lower the heat to a simmer. 
5. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the potatoes are very fork tender. 
6. Drain the potatoes carefully. I always use the lid and tip it over the sink but this can be a little heavy. Use a large colander if you have one. Return to the pot.
7. Add the cream cheese, butter, chicken bouillon, and 1 teaspoon seasoned salt. 
8. Use an electric mixer to whip the potatoes until ultra creamy. You shouldn't need to whip more than 1-2 minutes. Make sure you scrape the sides and bottom with a spatula. Don't over mix; once it's whipped, turn off the mixer.
9. Taste it and see if you would like to add up to 1 more teaspoon of seasoned salt.
10. Garnish with fresh parsley if you're a food blogger and need to post pictures of pretty food on the internet. Otherwise you can safely skip this step ;) 

Recipe Notes

*I like to use the Better than Bouillon brand, it's a paste that you store in the refrigerator after opening. It adds so much flavor! But if you don't have any, instant chicken bouillon granules will work too. That's what the original recipe calls for. Oh and I almost forgot, I used 1 tablespoon of chicken and one tablespoon of TURKEY base. Love that stuff. It's got tons of flavor. It's perfect for making Make Ahead Turkey Gravy, too. 

Source: This recipe, is, of course, from Aunt Shirley. :)