Holidays: Side Dish Recipe

For Christmas Eve this year, I was supposed to head over to my cousin’s house. Unfortunately, she came down with the flu and plans were canceled. Instead of completely canceling the festivities, I’ve been thrown into hosting duties! 

I’m going to be making a fairly traditional dinner, including ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, mac and cheese, peas and carrots, stuffing, cornbread muffins, pie, and more. If you’re looking for a little last minute inspiration for your holiday dinner, here’s a recipe I’ll be making:

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

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What you’ll need:

• 2 pounds of Yukon Gold potatoes
• 4 peeled garlic cloves
• 5 tablespoons of milk
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• Butter, to taste (optional)
• Sour cream, to taste (optional)

How to do it:

1. In a large saucepan, boil enough water to cover the potatoes, garlic and salt. Totally up to you if you want to leave the skin on the potatoes.
2. Cook the potatoes, garlic and salt until the potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and drain.
4. Beat the mashed potatoes and garlic with an electric mixer on low speed.
5. Add the olive oil.
6. Slowly beat in the milk.
7. Optional: add a bit of butter and/or sour cream to make the potatoes creamier. Top with traditional gravy or make the potatoes even more decadent by adding shredded cheese.

If you’re on your own to cook dinner for your family (like I am), don’t try to do everything yourself! Pick a few dishes that you will make from scratch and then decide on the ones that could be bought or are pre-made so they can be popped in the oven. And, it’s pretty standard to ask your family to help contribute by bringing a side or dessert.

Enjoy!