Author Notes: I love mashed potatos in large part because of all the things you can add to them. These draw a great smoky flavor from the chipotles and bacon, and a bit of a crunch here and there from the scallions. And cheese makes everything better. —Kayb
Serves: 8
Ingredients
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3
pounds redskin potatos
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2
teaspoons sea salt
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4
strips smoked bacon, diced small
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2-4
chipotles in adobo, minced
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4
tablespoons butter
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2
tablespoons bacon drippings
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1/2
cup sour cream
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1
bunch scallions, white and 2 inches of green, sliced
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1 1/2
cups grated cheese of your choice
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2
cloves garlic, minced
Directions
- Cut potatos, unpeeled, in rough 1 1/2 inch dice. In saucepan, add enough water to cover potatos by about two inches; add salt. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to medium and simmer until potatos are tender, about 15 minutes.
- Fry bacon until crisp in a small skillet. Add minced garlic and sweat briefly. Drain. Reserve drippings.
- When potatoes are done, drain them and add 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings, 4 tablespoons of softened butter, sour cream and chipotles; mash with potato masher or, if you choose, a mixer. If potatos are too stiff, add a little half-and-half.
- Fold in cheese, scallions and bacon-garlic mixture.
- If you choose, you can serve this at this point. I prefer to put it in a casserole dish, top it with a little additional cheese, and bake it for about 15 minutes at 400, just to toast the top. My cheeses of choice for this are a mix of cheddar and Manchego.