Bousin Mashed Potatoes

Mashed potatoes are an all-purpose side dish, almost as American as apple pie! The recent revival of "diner" dining and trendy diner-style upscale restaurants has elevated this blue plate special side dish to new heights. Garlic mashed potatoes and other flavored varieties abound today on chain restaurant menus despite the trend for low-carbohydrate diets.

These Boursin Mashed Potatoes are flavorful with garlic and herbs, are a snap to prepare and can be made ahead. Reheating is usually an issue with mashed potatoes, but the additions of the Boursin cheese spread, sour cream and milk provide enough liquid and fat to ensure creamy, delicious results. Serve as a side dish to our Garlic-Herb Prime Rib (recipe available on this site), or this also makes a terrific side with oven-roasted salmon or store-bought rotisserie chicken and gravy.

• 3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes
• 1 3-ounce container herb and garlic flavored cheese spread*
• 8 ounces sour cream
• 1/2 cup milk
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Wash, peel, dice and cook potatoes in salted boiling water until tender. Press through a potato ricer and add cheese spread, sour cream, milk, salt and pepper to taste. Place in a large casserole dish, cover with foil and refrigerate.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Remove potatoes from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake for 30 minutes, or until heated through.

Makes 6 servings.

*Boursin brand herb and garlic cheese spread was used for testing purposes.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes with Herbs

• 1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, quartered
• 5 garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature, cut into pieces
• 1/2 cup chopped mixed fresh herbs (such as basil, parsley, and chives)
Cook potatoes and garlic in large saucepan of boiling salted water until tender, about 25 minutes. Drain well. Return potatoes and garlic to pot.
Using handheld electric mixer, beat potato mixture at low speed until smooth. Add butter; beat until melted and smooth. Increase speed and whip potatoes just until light and fluffy. Stir in herbs. Season with salt and pepper; serve.

Thanksgiving Potatoes from the Silver Palate Cookbook

This is the recipe from the book....my modifications are in bold print and make a richer and moister pan of potatoes that don't need anything on them... I basically do 10 pounds of potatoes for Christmas and add the "good stuff"........ so fattening but soooooooooooooo good!

9 lg. baking potatoes, peeled and diced  (10 pounds)
1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature (2 sticks melted)
(1/2 tsp minced garlic added to the melted butter)
12 oz. cream cheese, room temperature ( 2 oz pkgs of cream cheese)
3/4 c. sour cream (16 oz - more if needed to get the right consistency)
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg ( I don't use)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
I use Lawry's seasoned salt and freshly ground pepper to season 
I also season with garlic POWDER, not garlic salt




Place the diced potatoes in a large saucepan and add water to cover. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer over medium heat until tender; drain.

Place the potatoes in a mixer bowl. Cut the butter and cream cheese into small pieces and add to the potatoes.

Beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in the sour cream. Season with the nutmeg, salt, and pepper to taste. Serve immediately or reheat in a buttered casserole at 300 degrees for 20 minutes. Yields 8 portions.

I omit the nutmeg and use garlic powder instead..  I use maybe a tsp... don't want it to overpower the taste, just season it.   I make this a day ahead of time and put it in a large baking pan...then shake paprika over the top to make it pretty.......cover with saran wrap and refrigerate.  Before baking, I take it out of the refrigerator several hours ahead of time so it won't take so long in the oven.  Adding the extra butter, the top tends to get a little brown.  Sometimes, I divide this into two baking pans, one to serve soon and one for later in the week.


I have also put the finished potato mixture into a crockpot - works fine... butter will rise to the top but just stir in before serving.

Applebee's Bacon Scallion Mashed Potatoes

2 Lbs. potatoes - peeled, cut into 1" cubes
4 cloves garlic - peeled
5 strips bacon - cut into 1/2" pieces
1 cup thinly sliced scallions
1/2 cup low-fat milk - warmed
1/2 cup low-fat sour cream
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper

In a large pot, cover potatoes and garlic with lightly salted water.
Boil until potatoes are fork tender.
Fry bacon in skillet until crisp; drain on paper towels.
Pour out all but 1 tsp. bacon grease from pan.
Add scallions to grease, sauté until soft, but not brown.
Add bacon.-Drain potatoes and return to pot.
Mash potatoes with milk, sour cream, salt, and pepper.
Stir in bacon and scallions.
Reheat, if necessary, before serving.

Serves 4

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

2 pounds (6 medium) potatoes, cut into 1-inch chucks
1 1/2 cups lowfat milk
3 tablespoons butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste

In large saucepan cook potatoes in 2 inches boiling water, covered, about 10 minutes until tender; drain thoroughly, then shake potatoes over low heat 1 to 2 minutes to dry thoroughly.

Mash potatoes with potato masher or beat with electric hand mixer; reserve.
Place milk, butter and garlic in small saucepan; set over medium-low heat and simmer until heated through, beat into potatoes until thoroughly mixed and fluffy.

Mix in additional milk, if necessary, to reach desired consistency.
Season with salt and pepper.

Nutritional Information:Calories: 187