Mashed Red Potatoes

I used to be a strictly russett potatoes kind of gal. I just didn't really think about any other kind. But the last few months I've been mixing up our diet with sweet potatoes and red potatoes and boy isn't it nice to have variety! Potatoes are a good source of potassium, fiber, and vitamin C. Leaving the skins on helps you get even more of those nutrients, so that's what the red pieces are in the picture above.

I hesitated to do this because it might seem really simple to some. However, if you are just learning to cook, then hopefully this will be helpful. We've all got to learn how to make yummy mashed potatoes at some point or another, don't we?

The good news is they're super easy to make. Just get out however many red potatoes you need, and scrub them clean, because you're leaving the skins on. Chop them up in quarters, or sixths, depending on how big your potato is. It doesn't really matter; the smaller they are the faster they will cook. Throw them in a pot and cover with water. A lot of people will get a huge pot and fill the water up to the top. Unlike noodles, you only need to just cover them. Boil them until the potatoes are soft. You can test this by sticking a fork in one of them. Drain the water and put the potatoes into a mixing bowl. Throw in a few Tbsp. of unsalted butter, sprinkle on some kosher salt, and add some milk. Don't do too much milk at the beginning, we're talking a couple Tbsp. The amount of all of these (salt, butter, and milk) will depend on how many potatoes you are making. You can use a potato masher if you like them clumpy, but we use a electric hand mixer around here. My kids go for the smooth texture. Mix them up and you're done!