Meredith's Potatoes
I sat at my daughter’s soccer practice last week and complained to a girlfriend about making dinner. In the rush of after-school activities and all the stuff that seems to pile up during the week, dinner hasn’t been going very well at my house.
I told her about the horribly over-cooked noodles and rubbery chicken that no one ate the night before. I lamented at the drudgery of the whole thing. We swapped bad dinner horror stories and laughed at our children’s ridiculous reactions when offered something they don’t like.
I chuckled about our conversation the rest of the week, consoling myself as we ate cheese quesadillas and canned tomato soup in between rushing out to dance and soccer, basketball and the homework grind.
When the weekend finally arrived and with it a few moments to catch our breath, I made the decision to unequivocally make life easier on weeknights. Simple meals, help from my kids and a no-fuss attitude from all of us is the new goal.
My only caveat: one night a week we feast. Good food, prepared thoughtfully, eaten at the table on a real plate are the only rules. Sunday night we grilled steaks on the Traeger Grill and I made Meredith’s mashed potatoes (and green beans).
My aunt, Meredith, was famous for these potatoes. Served at every holiday meal for as long as I can remember, these mashed potatoes are mixed with cream cheese and sour cream and then baked a second time for a silky texture and maximum flavor. The sprinkle of paprika and green onions were her special touch and I can’t imagine skipping it.
Dinner never tasted so good. We sat at the table for an extra few moments, chatting and relaxing. It was the perfect way to wrap up a weekend and steel ourselves for the busy week ahead.
Meredith’s Potatoes
5 pounds Russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 cups full-fat sour cream
8 ounces cream cheese
2 tablespoons butter
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
1 tablespoon green onions, thinly sliced
Dash of smoked paprika
Place potatoes in a large pot of salted water. Boil potatoes over medium heat for 20 to 25 minutes until potatoes are fork tender. Drain water from potatoes and return them to the pot. Turn the heat back to medium and cook for one to two minutes until moisture evaporates. Turn heat off.
Using a mixer or a potato masher, mash the potatoes until the potatoes are broken down and no big clumps remain (they do not need to be perfectly smooth).
Mix in the sour cream and cream cheese and continue stirring and mixing until the potatoes are smooth and the ingredient are well-combined. Salt and pepper to the potatoes liberally. Taste to see if they need more salt.