I was introduced to mashed potato casserole at a Thanksgiving dinner at some friends house over a decade ago. Since then, I’ve prepared it as a side dish for all kinds of things, and even as a main dish for a particularly finicky vegetarian friend. Bar none, it’s loved and still talked about to this day by all I’ve prepared it for!

Ready

• For a ~9x11” pan (or 2 pans ~half that size):
• ~10-12 medium sized potatoes (the Yukon Gold are best)
• Cream Cheese (Philadelphia is best)
• Sour Cream
• Salt
• Pepper
• chopped chives (or green onion tops if you can’t find chives or don’t have any on hand)
• Butter

Set

• A large pot of water in which to boil the potatoes
• An electric hand blender with detachable beaters

Go

1. Scrub and clean potatoes of any eyes or damaged spots.
2. Place in large pot of lightly salted water and boil until you can stick a fork into a potato without having to fight to get it in.
3. Drain potatoes well.
4. Wearing oven mitts (unless you aren’t heat sensitive), peel the potatoes and put them into a large mixing bowl.
5. Toss in the sour cream and cream cheese (I usually use a large bar of cream cheese and a 16oz. container of sour cream).
6. Toss in the chopped chives (or green ends of the green onions, chopped).
7. Add some salt (preferably sea salt) and fresh ground pepper.
8. Blend with electric mixer until all smooth (or your arm gives out, whichever happens first!)
9. Taste, reseason as needed, and reblend.
10. Butter the bottom and sides of you pan(s).
11. Dump the mash into the pan(s).
12. Cover and REFRIGERATE FOR AT LEAST 2 HOURS. THIS STEP MUST NOT BE SKIPPED! IF IT’S NOT THOROUGHLY CHILLED, IT WON’T SET, AND THUS, IT WONT COME OUT RIGHT! (If you’ve made 2 smaller pans and wish to do so, you may cover and refrigerate or freeze the 2nd pan at this point in time for use within the next few days or later, respectively.)
13. Place pats of butter on top of mash.
14. Cook in a preheated oven at ~350F or higher until the top and edges are nicely browned. (The temperature doesn’t necessarily matter, especially if you’ve got to have it set at something particular for another dish or bread you’re baking/roasting)
15. The crispy parts on the edges are the BEST!

What you should know

This dish is insanely addictive; I have friends who still dream of it years after they last had it! I’ve never tried to make it with lowfat or nonfat cream cheese or sour cream, as I was told that it wouldn’t set properly without the fat content. NOTE that there is no butter (other than on the pan and on top for browning) nor milk mixed in to the potatoes in this recipe! It’s obviously not the most heart healthy dish, but is well worth the extra calories to burn! Enjoy!