P Dub's Creamy Mashed Potatoes

Holy yumminess. Ree is not kidding when she says these are amazingly creamy and yummy. And I was able to prepare them in advance and pop them in the fridge to be reheated!

*TIP ALERT!* Remember to put the note on the dish with the oven temp, cooking time and time you want to put the dish in the oven so you are not rummaging around looking for your recipe! SUPER helpful when you have several make-ahead dishes.

And once again, when we reheated them for the next night's feast of leftovers, the crunchiness on the side of the Corningware only added to the deliciousness.

The Pioneer Woman's Creamy Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients

• 5 pounds Russet Or Yukon Gold Potatoes
• ¾ cups Butter
• 1 package (8 Oz.) Cream Cheese, Softened*
• ½ cups (to 3/4 Cups) Half-and-Half
• ½ teaspoons (to 1 Teaspoon) Lawry's Seasoned Salt
• ½ teaspoons (to 1 Teaspoon) Black Pepper
• 
  
• Instructions

Peel and cut the potatoes into pieces that are generally the same size. Bring a large pot of water to a simmer and add the potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook for 30 to 35 minutes. When they’re cooked through, the fork should easily slide into the potatoes with no resistance, and the potatoes should almost, but not totally, fall apart.

Drain the potatoes in a large colander. When the potatoes have finished draining, place them back into the dry pot and put the pot on the stove. Mash the potatoes over low heat, allowing all the steam to escape, before adding in all the other ingredients.

Turn off the stove and add 1 ½ sticks of butter, an 8-ounce package of cream cheese and about ½ cup of half-and-half. Mash, mash, mash! Next, add about ½ teaspoon of Lawry’s Seasoning Salt and ½ a teaspoon of black pepper.

Stir well and place in a medium-sized baking dish. Throw a few pats of butter over the top of the potatoes and place them in a 350-degree oven and heat until butter is melted and potatoes are warmed through.

Note: When making this dish a day or two in advance, take it out of the fridge about 2 to 3 hours before serving time. Bake in a 350-degree oven for about 20 to 30 minutes or until warmed through.

Apple and Onion Stuffing

I made this recipe for our friends during our faux-Thanksgiving and it was a hit! To be honest, the best part of the recipe was the leftovers, after baking the stuffing again, it got super crispy on top and super delicious! Next time, I plan on using less chicken stock and baking for just a smidge longer. Overall, this was a great recipe and really easy!

Apple and Onion Stuffing

Courtesy of Rachael Ray

Ingredients

2 T extra virgin olive oil

1 stick butter, softened

1 fresh bay leaf

4 ribs celery and greens, from heart, chopped

1 medium to large yellow onion, chopped

3 McIntosh apples, quartered and chopped

Salt and pepper

2 T poultry seasoning

1/4 C chopped fresh parsley leaves

8 C cubed stuffing mix (you know, like Pepperidge Farm)

2-3 C Chicken stock

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375
• Preheat large skillet over medium high heat, add olive oil and 4 Tbsp butter.
• When butter melts, add bay leaf and vegetables as you chop them, celery, then onions then apples. Season veggies with salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning.
• Cook 5-6 minutes until veggies begin to soften, then add parsley and stuffing mix and mix to combine.
• Moisten stuffing with chicken stock until bread cubes are damp but not wet (I found I used only about 2 cups)
• At this point you can either butter a baking dish or 12 muffin tins. If using a baker, just scoop in. If making stuffin' muffins, use an ice cream scoop to evenly divide between 12 muffin cups. Remove the bay leave when you find it.
• Bake until set and crisp on top, 10-15 minutes.
• Remove and serve hot or at room temperature.

A picture of my plate during our faux-Thanksgiving: