Do the Crock - pot mashed potato!

Did you ever have one of those crazed holiday moments when the turkey was done early, the potatoes were still boiling, you forgot to
make the green beans and you burned the dinner rolls? If not, count yourself lucky. If you have, well, welcome to my house!

Timing is everything as they say. And when you're the one cooking the big holiday dinner and want everything that's supposed to be hot hot, well, then it really is everything. There is nothing more annoying than a bird who decides to be finished cooking an hour early or even worse an hour late. After a few years of having to hit the cooking sherry just to get through the stress of making the big meal, I finally learned some time management tricks to make it all much easier. Now, I try to cook as much as I can ahead of time, to avoid exactly those types of situations.

One of my favorite recipes, to help me achieve this happy end is Crock- pot mashed potatoes. Made ahead of time, all you have to do is keep them warm. It frees up a whole chunk of time that can be better spent prying your husband away from the football game and navigating your children towards the bathroom to wash their hands.

Ingredients:

5 lbs. potatoes, chopped and boiled until tender (skins optional)

8 oz. container sour cream

8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Mash potatoes with sour cream and cream cheese, adding reserved water from boiling the potatoes (I like to add a tbspn of minced garlic to the water when boiling the potatoes) to reach desired consistency. Transfer to a Crock-pot, cover, and cook on low for 2 to 3 hours. Just before serving, stir in butter and season with salt and pepper.

Jenn McKinlay

SPRINKLE WITH MURDER March 2010

aka Lucy Lawrence

STUCK ON MURDER Sept 2009

www.jennmckinlay.com

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