Mashed Potato as a side dish

There's a hamburger joint on Raadets Gade in Charlotte Amalie called the Crazy Cow. The big seller there after midnight was always a  burger with peas and mash. That's mashed potatoes with peas.

I still do them like my elementary school cafeteria... mashed smooth, salt peppper, butter and milk. Then spread in a baking pan and cover with mellow American cheese. Bake until the cheese melts. Sometimes I add chopped green onions to the potatoes. 

I serve mashed potatoes with any kind of meat & gravy.   Also, always with sauerkrault & weiners  or liver & onions.
 
The very best potatoes I've ever used were home grown by my grandfather.   I've never again seen such good looking & great tasting potatoes.  I don't know the variety of potatoes, but the inside was very white,the texture very dense.  When mashed the potatoes were the smoothest  I have very tasted.  He saved his own potatoes from year to year for planting.  His potatoes always won the blue ribbon at the county fair.  I loved helping him dig potatoes. 

The key to any vegetable is freshness.  I grew potatoes years ago & learned quickly how much better they tasted when cooked immediately from the garden.

Of course, there are mashed and there are mashed.  I'll never understand how anyone can eat the library paste at KFC.

I like mashed potatoes made many ways, except no horseradish for me.  I like Bubble and Squeak, colcannon, sausages with saurkraut and mashed potatoes. I usually make mine with cream or sour cream and butter and salt and pepper, but the ones with garlic and chicken broth are also yummy.  Mashed potatoes made with Yukon Gold potatoes are a bit bland to me, but then I never met a potato I did not like. (maybe  cause  I am of English/Irish heritage)

I can't wait until our Farmer's Markets here in Minneapolis start carrying new potatoes.  They are simply delicious, and so abundant (in season), that I even use them for mashed potatoes.
 
I keep mine very simple -- boiled, put through a ricer, add skim milk and butter (yes, I know) and then beat with a wooden spoon until smooth.  We invariably have mashed potatoes with fried chicken and pan milk gravy.
 
 

I grew up on very smooth mashed potatoes so I always made mine smooth until my mixer died.  Now I hand mash so they are a little chunkier and BF prefers them that way.  Add butter, warm milk, s & p.  Love garlic but not in my potatoes.

Try using either chicken or beef boullion disolved in whole cream and added to the mash. theboullion takes the place of salt and adds great flavor!