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Mashed Potatoes with Smoked Cheddar and Grainy Mustard

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on August 22, 2007

Yield

Serves 4

Mashed Potatoes with Smoked Cheddar and Grainy Mustard

Ingredients

2 pounds russet potatoes, unpeeled and scrubbed8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), melted1 ¼ teaspoons table salt ½ teaspoon ground black pepper 1 cup half-and-half, warm2 tablespoons grainy mustard 3 ounces smoked cheddar cheese, grated (1 cup)

Instructions

  1. Place potatoes in large saucepan with water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to boil over high heat, reduce heat to medium, and simmer until potatoes are just tender (paring knife can be slipped into and out of potato with very little resistance), 20 to 30 minutes. Drain.
  2. Set food mill or ricer over now-empty but still-warm saucepan. Spear potato with dinner fork, then peel off skin with paring knife; repeat with remaining potatoes. Working in batches, cut peeled potatoes into rough chunks and drop into hopper of food mill or ricer. Process or rice potatoes into saucepan or mash potatoes with potato masher directly in saucepan.
  3. Stir butter into potatoes until just incorporated. Sprinkle salt and pepper over potatoes. add warm half-and-half, mustard, and cheese and stir until just combined. Serve immediately.
Mashed Potatoes with Smoked Cheddar and Grainy Mustard

Mashed Potatoes with Smoked Cheddar and Grainy Mustard

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Yield

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 pounds russet potatoes, unpeeled and scrubbed
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), melted
1 ¼ teaspoons table salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup half-and-half, warm
2 tablespoons grainy mustard
3 ounces smoked cheddar cheese, grated (1 cup)

Ingredients

2 pounds russet potatoes, unpeeled and scrubbed
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), melted
1 ¼ teaspoons table salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup half-and-half, warm
2 tablespoons grainy mustard
3 ounces smoked cheddar cheese, grated (1 cup)

Ingredients

2 pounds russet potatoes, unpeeled and scrubbed
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), melted
1 ¼ teaspoons table salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup half-and-half, warm
2 tablespoons grainy mustard
3 ounces smoked cheddar cheese, grated (1 cup)

Why This Recipe Works

When it comes to mashed potatoes, most cooks worry so much about getting the texture right that they forget about the flavor. Butter and half-and-half make for mashed potatoes that are rich tasting but not terribly exciting. Our goal was to jazz up the traditional recipe without muddying the flavor of the potatoes, so we used simple pairings of contrasting yet complementary ingredients.

Instructions

  1. Place potatoes in large saucepan with water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to boil over high heat, reduce heat to medium, and simmer until potatoes are just tender (paring knife can be slipped into and out of potato with very little resistance), 20 to 30 minutes. Drain.
  2. Set food mill or ricer over now-empty but still-warm saucepan. Spear potato with dinner fork, then peel off skin with paring knife; repeat with remaining potatoes. Working in batches, cut peeled potatoes into rough chunks and drop into hopper of food mill or ricer. Process or rice potatoes into saucepan or mash potatoes with potato masher directly in saucepan.
  3. Stir butter into potatoes until just incorporated. Sprinkle salt and pepper over potatoes. add warm half-and-half, mustard, and cheese and stir until just combined. Serve immediately.

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