You Say Potato......

You Say Potato....

As I teach my students as part of Davison's 5th grade curriculum, potatoes are native to North America. Europeans had never seen or tasted a potato until potatoes, as well as other foods, were taken back to the "Old World" from the "New World."

I have to be completely honest and say that I LOVE potatoes - all KINDS of potatoes. I like them mashed, baked, fried, roasted, and sauteed. I like russets, reds, yellows, fingerlings, and whites. Maybe it's the starch. Maybe it's the flexibility of a potato. Maybe it's how filling a potato can be.

WHATEVER!!!!

I LOVE potatoes......

So here are a recipe to try that will prove the "power" of potatoes!!!

Mashed Potato Casserole

This recipe belongs to the list of one of the first successful cooking attempts I made after graduating from Michigan State University in 1983. I have stuck with this recipe for years and make it for holiday meals and sometimes just for fun!!

1 package (3-oz) cream cheese - softened

1 tsp. garlic salt

2 1/2 to 3 lbs. baking potatoes

paprika

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/2 cup sour cream

2-3 tbsp. butter or margarine

parsley sprigs or flakes

In a bowl, stir together cream cheese, garlic salt, pepper, and sour cream until smooth. Set aside. Prepare and boil quartered potatoes uncovered for about 20 minutes. Drain. Using an electric mixer, beat the hot potatoes until they are in fine lumps. Add sour cream mixture and continue beating until fluffy and smooth. Spoon potatoes into a well-buttered shallow baking dish. Dot with butter and sprinkle with paprika. Bake, covered, in a 400 degree oven for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10 more minutes or until the top is golden brown. Garnish with parsley flakes. Makes 6 servings.