What to Prep Today, Mon. Nov. 25, for Thanksgiving, Part 3 of 5
Day Three of Turkey Day prep is all about the spuds, taters, tubers. Did you know you could make mashed potatoes several days ahead of time? Well, kids, it's true!
Monday's Mashtacular
POTATOES DESERVE THEIR OWN RELIGION, cult, town, or country. And, naturally, I deserve to be made their Pope, scandal-ridden leader, mayor, or king.
I live for potatoes. (What can I say? I’m Portuguese.) I’ve been known to have three types of taters on our Thanksgiving table. And it’s not out of any sense of generosity so free-flowing at this time of the year. It’s totally selfish: I want more Solanum tuberosum.
Today, mashed potatoes are the diva of the day. Yes, they can be made ahead. No, they won't taste like wallpaper paste. Trust me on this one.
Mashed Potatoes
It's astounding how many people are shocked when I tell them they can make mashed potatoes several days ahead of time! It's true. I do it all the time.
All you need to do is cook the mashed potatoes as directed in your favorite recipe. Cover the pot and slide it off the heat.
When the taters are cool, scoop them into an airtight container and slip them into the fridge.
An hour or so before Thanksgiving dinner:
Place a bowl on top of a saucepan filled with an inch or two of water. Make sure the bottom of the bowl isn't touching the water.
Cover the potatoes, and bring the water to a simmer of low heat.
Let the potatoes heat through. They most likely will be thick due to the starch granules absorbing liquid. Simply tip in some milk, a bit at a time, until you get the right consistency.
Now, never, ever, on pain of death, use a food processor to make mashed potatoes. The blade of the processor whirs so fast it cuts open the starch granules and turns your potatoes gummily gross.
Soup
And let's get that pumpkin soup started. It only gets better with time. Remember to use the stock you made on Saturday.
Prefer other recipes? I've included a LOT of mashed recipes. They all can be made ahead of time except for the aligot potatoes. They can be made through step 4. You'll have to add the cheeses to the reheated potatoes on Thanksgiving Day. (Not too much extra work, though!)
Velvet Mashed Potatoes
Velvet mashed potatoes are no mere mash. The creamy potato purée owes its uber smoothness to luxurious amounts of butter and heavy cream and an easy, fail-proof technique that relies on a potato ricer.
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Garlic mashed potatoes are an ideal go-to side dish, anytime. They complement nearly everything you can think of and, more importantly, nearly everybody loves them. This version does away with the roasting and peeling, using a super simple method, instead.
Black Pepper Mashed Potatoes
These black pepper mashed potatoes are not your ordinary spuds. They're made with plenty of butter, milk, and black pepper, of course. But the secret ingredient? A pinch of sugar to bring out the other flavors.
Ina Garten's Mashed Potatoes with Lemon
Cooking the potatoes in less water than usual and gradually mashing in bits of chilled butter are the details that make this recipe special.
Aligot ~ Pommes Aligot
These aligot potatoes, made with creamy mashed potatoes, cheese curds, and mozzarella cheese, are the richest, cheesiest, and most comforting potatoes we've ever tried.
Celery Root Gratin
Celery root, perhaps one of the ugliest-looking vegetables on the planet, gets a makeover in this luscious cheesy, creamy gratin.
French Onion Potato Gratin
What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object? The same thing that happens when French onion soup meets potatoes: glorious mayhem. The crispy cheese-and-caramelized-onions topping on this dish is absolutely ridiculous.
Cheesy Pumpkin Potato Gratin
This cheesy pumpkin potato gratin is a perfect holiday side dish that layers tender potatoes with a creamy delicate pumpkin sauce that gives the dish a burnished autumn color. And with two types of cheese, how can you miss? Speaking of cheese, you can replace the Gouda with more Cheddar, or vice versa, if you wish.
Pumpkin-Cider Soup
While apples might be best known as ingredients in crisps, crumbles, cakes, and tarts, they're a delicious way to sweeten up vegetable soups made with seasonal vegetables like butternut squash, pumpkins, and parsnips. Try this soup made with squash and apples and spiced with sage and thyme.
Tuesday is all about vegetables, vegetables, vegetables.
Chow,
P.S. Won’t you consider tapping the ♥️, restacking this post, and/or leaving a comment? It takes but a moment, but their impact is enormous! xx
OMG, everything I love. I’ve been stocking up on the KerryGold and Irish cream ( don’t worrry the price is nowhere near what it costs in America !!) For Christmas Day I do roasted potatoes, garlic potatoes, mash potatoes and croquettes. I sometimes think that isn’t even enough potatoes!!
David, I never met a potato I didn't like, and any sort of mashed spud is sublime with garlic and salt and pepper. And butter and cream. A gratin is superb. This year I am not doing Thanksgiving dinner (it has been a not great year) and we will be guests at a friend's house. I promise I will not go into Nicole's kitchen; my only assignment is to bring wine which I am happy to do. I will sit on the couch and sip wine and chat with other guests. I wish you and The One a happy and peaceful and loving Thanksgiving and the same to everyone on this blog!