Mashed Potatoes with Rosemary Butter

Creamy, buttery mashed potatoes…absolute perfection. Some may say it is silly to write this recipe, but I love taking something so simple and perfecting it or making it even better. One thing about mashed potatoes- they come from the heart. Let your heart lead you with the amount of butter and extras.

The short version: boil potatoes, mash, add butter, cream and salt. But let’s step back and start from the beginning.

Potatoes: You have many choices. My personal preference is Yukon Gold because they are creamy on their own and they have thin skins. I am also a fan of red skinned potatoes. They are a little more waxy, but will yield a nice consistency-and they have thin skins.

Peeling: Most people peel the potatoes. I actually detest peeling potatoes and that is one of the reasons I love the thin skinned varieties, the peeling incorporates well. In addition, everyone knows right away they are REAL potatoes. Also, things aren’t fancy at my house, a rustic mash is just fine.

Boiling: You will need a large pot and water. What you add next depends on your preferences. I usually add salt and 4-5 garlic cloves in my boiling water. It is not necessary, but I love the garlic mashed with the potatoes. Scrub the potatoes, cut into medium chunks and toss into the pot with water and anything else you choose. Boil until tender.

Draining: The potatoes need to be drained, and drained again. Water is your enemy at this point. After draining, I throw everything back in the pot I cooked in because it is still warm and mash away.

Mashing: If you want the silkiest, smoothest mash, you will need to use a ricer. I have a ricer that is decades old- I have never used it. Again, I don’t like to peel potatoes and I like my mash a little more rustic, so I use a regular potato masher. There are some definite no’s when it comes to mashing- no blenders, no mixers, no food processors. These appliances will turn your mash into glue very quickly.

Extras: What you have now is a blank slate so be creative. My daughter, Logan, loves “cheesy mashed potatoes” and they contain cream cheese, butter, sour cream, chives, garlic and cheddar cheese. I have to make these for her at least twice a year. On a normal night, I add in sour cream and salted butter and if needed, a splash of cream, half and half or milk (basically whatever I have on hand). Tonight we have some family coming for dinner so I am making a big batch of mash and I am going melt butter in a small pot and simmer for a few minutes with fresh rosemary. I will remove the rosemary and toss in the melted butter.

Salt and Pepper: Taste the mash and add salt as needed. I also love to top with freshly ground black pepper. And maybe a little pat of butter.

Container: I love to serve mashed potatoes in pottery or ceramic bowl. You can pour hot water into the bowl to heat it prior to adding the mash. Then add the mash. It stays warmer longer using this method.

Some may say a side shouldn’t determine the wine, however in this case I might disagree. This decadent, buttery mash would go wonderfully with a heavy, cab. A great, affordable cab is The Federalist from 2Sons Winery which is owned by the Terlato family. Be sure and open this cab 30 minutes to 1 hour prior to serving. And if you have a decanter on hand, I would highly recommend it. Bold reds need to breathe and it does enhance the flavor making it much smoother.

Mashed Potatoes

Smooth, creamy, buttery goodness...absolute perfection.

Ingredients

3lbs Yukon Gold potatoes
4-5 garlic cloves
1 stick of butter, melted
1-2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
1 cup sour cream
1/2-1 cup of dairy (cream, half and half or milk)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Wash the potatoes and cut into medium chunks. Place potatoes and garlic in a large pot and cover with water. Boil until tender. Drain well. Mash. Melt the butter and simmer with the rosemary for a few minutes. Add all the ingredients and continue to mash.

Make this recipe your own. Add your favorites , the combinations are endless. The rosemary butter is also fabulous on a steak.

Christy Young Goza

Bourbon Cranberry Sauce

For years I loved and served canned cranberry sauce. Someone would always bring a cranberry salad to my Nannie Logan’s house on Thanksgiving, and if I knew which of my six aunts had brought it, I would apologize to them now for what I am about to say: cranberry salad is not a substitute for cranberry sauce. Cranberry salad usually has crisp apples, maybe jello…heck, I have no idea what is in it, but it is not cranberry sauce, that I know for sure. I do know that Nannie always had a magical can of the good stuff hidden away and would pull it out, look at me like I didn’t know what was good, and she would shake it out of the can and plop it on a plate, cut it into slices and hand it over to me. And that was Thanksgiving. Nannie was thankful to have me out from under her feet and I was thankful for the canned stuff.

Nannie and Papaw Logan had seven daughters: Maggie, Hazel, Bobbi, Deanie, Tinnie, Gladys and Evelyn. They lived most their life in a small, two bedroom house on South Ocoee Street in Cleveland, Tennessee. Some of my best memories of the holidays were at their home. I still don’t know how we all fit into that house at Thanksgiving and Christmas. There was food everywhere and aunts, uncles and cousins were everywhere. We scattered out onto the porches and into the yard. Cars were parked in the back alley as far as you could see. Nannie did not allow any smoking or drinking at her house, so IF those sorts of things went on, it happened out behind the barn where she couldn’t see them. All the food was served buffet style, food was set out on the stove, the counters, tables, anywhere there was space, and the men got their plates first and sat in the dining room. Then the women and kids got their plates and we sat in the kitchen or where ever we could find a seat. I had a hard time understanding this particular part of our family Thanksgiving ritual and being the difficult child I was (I mean the strong, independent child), I did buck the system one particular Thanksgiving. I got my plate with the men, sat in the dining room and no one spoke to me. It wasn’t much fun, so the next year I stuck with tradition. I don’t think the separation of the men and women was a sexist thing, I just think they didn’t want to talk to each other. But whatever the reason, the women and kids table was much more fun- and closer to the food.

The Logan Family Thanksgiving traditions I remember the most: Aunt Hazel made the best pecan pies. Aunt Tinnie made amazing dressing. Nannie Logan had the best dumplings, Aunt Maggie was always at least an hour late and she usually brought a banana pudding that my Papaw Logan loved, Aunt Bobbi was queen of the casseroles and Uncle Claude always washed all the dishes. I have many more memories, but I need to circle back to the cranberry sauce!

So about eight years ago, I started looking at cranberry sauce recipes. Many had cinnamon, so that was out (I don’t like cinnamon), some had apples, so that was out….and then I ran across something that peaked my interest: Bourbon Cranberry Sauce. I have no idea where I got the recipe from, I wish I knew because I love to give credit where credit is due. I just know I have been making this for many years now and I try to dream up ways to use it, it is that good.

The recipe is so easy, 7 ingredients, throw in a pot on medium high heat for 15 minutes. If you like bourbon, put more. If you like more orange, add more zest. There are stages to the pot of cranberries, first is the wet shiny stage, then the foamy bubbles stage, then the “it might be done, but I am not sure” stage, then the thick, jammy, done stage.

Because it has a jammy consistency, it is wonderful on brie, spread on right-out-of-the-oven biscuits, over a good quality vanilla ice cream, topping for pound cake or incorporated into a charcuterie board. It is also pretty darn good on a turkey sandwich the day after Thanksgiving. Most recently, I reheated it, added a little more water and served it as a sauce to a great pork tenderloin.

If I make this ahead, I usually pull it out of the fridge and let it set on the counter to bring it to room temperature or throw it in a pot to warm. It can be served cold, room temp or warm. And it is just fine to make a day or two ahead.

My daughter, Logan, is also very fond of the canned stuff, so I always have both on the table for Thanksgiving Dinner. But I have noticed her dipping into the Bourbon Cranberry Sauce, too.

Cranberries are relatively cheap this time of year, consider making a batch or two and fill some jelly jars and share with your friends.

Bourbon Cranberry Sauce

Servings: 8-10
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Ingredients

(2) 12 ounce packages of fresh cranberries
1 1/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup orange juice
3/4 cup water
3 tbsp bourbon
zest of an orange

Directions

Toss everything in a pot on medium high heat for 15-20 minutes. You do not need to cover the pot to cook, but you my want to cover to keep the splatter down towards the end of the cooking time.

Make this recipe your own. Add a finely chopped jalapeno for heat, pump up the orange flavor by adding additional zest, add more bourbon. For extra rich and thickness, omit the water. For a thinner consistency, add more water.

Christy Young Goza

Chili

I spent the morning in the basement trying to organize some clutter (I have a long way to go) and came across my tubs of fall decor. And even though itâ€™s not technically fall yet, I decided to decorate early. And if you are going to decorate for fall, you might as well make some chili. Did I mention Jay was also watching the first football games of the season?

I also found some leftover fall cocktail napkins when I was unpacking the tubs, which lead to the organizing of all my cocktail napkins. I have a touch of what some would call OCD but I actually love that part of myself and consider it one of my best qualities- until I am up at 3am trying to organize my cabinets.

As I get older, I have the attention span of a squirrel and often find myself falling into rabbit holes. Today is a good example: basement clean up led to fall decorating, napkin organization and chili.

I have never made the same chili twice. I always find myself looking in the cabinet for things to add. The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond, has what I consider to be the perfect basic chili recipe. I always start with that and then add in whatever feels right in my heart. Yes, I could make up my own chili recipe, but why reinvent the wheel?

The recipe cards I include in my posts are my real recipe cards and as you can see, this is the basic chili recipe with no real directions, complete with food stains on the card.

The most important part of chili is the toppings. Today, I lined up sour cream, onions, jalapenos, shredded cheese, lime wedges and chips. At the last minute, I decided to add tater tots. I crisped them in the oven on a large baking sheet and tossed in this pan to serve.

If you are feeding a crowd, double or triple the recipe. And for a crowd I like to make a pot of spicy chili and a pot of not so spicy chili. Tonight this pot of chili fed 6 adults and a few of those adults had multiple helpings. I was looking forward to chili left overs because it freezes beautifully, but there was none. And that is the best compliment I could receive.

Pair this with sweet tea or ice cold beer.

Chili

Servings: 6-8
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Ingredients

2 lbs ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 15 oz can kidney beans, drained
1 15 oz can pinto beans, drained
2 15 oz cans tomato sauce
1 can Rotel tomatoes with chilis

Directions

Brown the hamburger meat and drain. In a large pot, saute the onions for a few minutes. Add garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add all the spices and mix with the onions and garlic. Toss in the spices and mix well. Add the hamburger meat and the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer, usually low, and cover for at least an hour stirring occasionally. You can simmer it much longer, but at least an hour.

Make this recipe your own. Bump up the heat with red pepper flakes, add different types of beans or omit the beans, add a spicy sausage or use ground turkey or chicken. Don’t settle for the recipe and listen to your heart. If you want more chili powder and cumin, add it. If you love garlic, add more.

Friends In Low Places

I cherish my friends. I think it is because I never had many in school. I mean, really good friends. I had a couple. I was always careful who I confided in and kept people at a distance in many ways. When I was younger I always felt intimidated or in competition with other girls. It has only been later in life that I learned the true blessings of friendship and how to be a good friend to others. I am so thankful to have a strong network of friends through my cancer journey.

While going through chemo for triple negative breast cancer in 2019, I had a lot of time to think about my friendships. A life changing event can really show you exactly who your friends are and who will stand by you. Here are some categories I developed just for fun one day when I was recouping (I had a lot of time on my hands).

Ride or Die Friends: They will be with you every single step of the way. If you sound disheartened on the phone, they will bust up into your house and snap you out of it in seconds. When you are too sick to get out of bed, they will stand in your kitchen and keep your mom and husband company with tears in their eyes. They text you day and night and don’t even care if you respond. They are your people, your family.

Really Good Friends: They call, they drop by from time to time. They let you know you are loved and being prayed for. They have your best interest at heart at all times. You know they will be there for you and are just a call away.

Friends: Many fall in this category. They will text you a couple of times, put you on their church prayer list and tell you they love you. And they do.

Almost Friends: They are social media friends. They respond to your posts and may even whisper a prayer for you. You don’t really know them well, but the name is familiar and you know of them.

Lost Friends: You thought they were really good friends, but they weren’t there when it mattered. It was too much for them.

Friendships can be hard and they require work. Cancer can be too much for some people. The reality of this can be extremely hurtful, especially when you are already down and out from the treatments. There will always be people you thought would be there for you that are not. It’s the reality of things. And that’s okay. That’s on them, not you. It took me a long time to come to peace with this. Actually I’m not certain I am at total peace with it, but I have vowed to not let it consume me. The bright side-it has made me a better friend.