The weather is getting cooler and that means mashed potatoes. I have been on a huge mashed potato kick lately. Growing up my Mom never made mashed potatoes. I only got them on Thanksgiving. I was always complaining that we didn’t get mashed potatoes often enough. When I moved out on my own it didn’t occur to me to make mashed potatoes all the time. I’ve really only been making them on my own for the past couple years. I always thought of mashed potatoes as a “special occasion” food. But mashed potatoes are so easy to make. Plus you can mix them up so many ways. We have done gorgonzola smashed potatoes and marbled mashed potatoes, but there are a million different variations you could make with different cheeses, spices, herbs, and other add-ins. Think bacon.
One of my other favorite ways to prepare potatoes is the twice baked potato. Does it get any better than twice baked potatoes. Except at weddings, those tend to be dry in my experience. So, homemade twice baked potatoes, those are amazing. Well these mashed potatoes taste like the filling of twice baked potatoes but in half of the time. For twice baked potatoes you need to bake the potatoes, scoop out the potatoes, make the filling, and put the filling back in the potatoes to bake again. Def special occasion food. These are more like twice cooked. Boil, then bake. Much quicker; just as delicious though.
Here is what you’ll need
Boil the potatoes
Add the sour cream, milk, butter and salt and pepper; mash
Mix in the cheddar cheese
Spread the potatoes in a baking dish and top with panko
Twice baked? Twice cooked? Who cares?
- 2 pounds yukon gold potatoes, peeled
- 8 ounces sour cream
- 1/2 cup milk
- 6 tablespoons butter, divided
- 2 teaspoons salt, divided
- 2 teaspoons pepper, divided
- 1 cup cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup panko
- Peel and cut the potatoes into 1 inch cubes.
- Place in a pot and cover with water.
- Bring to a boil.
- Boil for about 20 minutes or the potato can be easily pierced with a fork.
- Preheat the over to 375 degrees F.
- Drain the potatoes.
- Add the milk, butter, sour cream, and half of the salt and pepper.
- Mash the potatoes lightly.
- Mix in the cheddar cheese.
- Spread the potatoes in an 8×8 inch baking dish.
- Melt the remaining butter and mix with panko and the remaining salt and pepper.
- Sprinkle the panko over the top of the potatoes.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until the panko is browned.
- If you’d like the panko to be a little browner or crispier place under the broiler for 30 seconds or so.
