Herb & Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes

Don’t mess with my mashed potatoes. Or, do mess with them, but only if the messing contains one of the following masher-approved additions:
A). Garlic
B). Cheese
C). Herbs

Bonus points if you use more than one.

While my all-time favorite mashed potatoes are still (and probably always will be) the Definitive Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes, I am ok with mixing it up every now and then. And you know how I feel about goat cheese. So really, it was only a matter of time before goat cheese mashed potatoes happened.

My tips for perfect potatoes? Don’t skimp on the cream or butter. This is no time to go all Cooking Light on me. Good mashed potatoes will not be healthy, just accept it. The more butter and cream the better. Also? After draining, put your potatoes back on the heat. Let them cook for another minute or so, letting any remaining water evaporate out of them. You’ll see the steam. Then, mash the potatoes with a masher or push them through a potato ricer for the creamiest, fluffiest potatoes you’ve ever had.

Also! If you’re reading this through an rss reader don’t forget to click through and see the brand new feature added to the site – the recipe box! We’ve partnered with ZipList to add this spiffy new tool, and we think you’ll really find it useful. Do note that we’re still working out some bugs, it only works when you are on the individual post page (not the homepage), but simply click on the Save button to stash the recipe in your ZipList account. You can add tags and even create shopping lists from your saved recipes. Pretty cool, huh? I’d love to hear your feedback about this new feature!

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Herb & Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

3 lbs yukon gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
1/3 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup goat cheese, room temperature
1 tablespoon fresh thyme or other herb of your choice, finely chopped
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Place potato chunks in a large pot of salted water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and boil until potatoes are fork tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Thoroughly drain, and return cooked potatoes to low heat. Using a potato masher, mash and stir for 1 to 2 minutes, until smooth and remaining moisture has evaporated. Remove from heat.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine butter and cream. Stir over medium-low heat until butter is melted. Add hot cream and goat cheese to potatoes and stir until smooth. Add thyme and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add more cream or butter as needed to acheive desired consistency. Serve immediately.