Easy Thanksgiving Potato Recipes

There are hundreds of potato recipes available. I stick with my family favorites, but you can modify these recipes to fit your own taste buds.

Mashed Potatoes (this will serve a large, hungry crowd!)
5 pounds of white potatoes, I use russets
½ to 1 cup of milk
1 stick of butter
Salt and pepper to taste

Peel the potatoes and cut them into cubes. The smaller the cubes the faster they will cook. I usually cut them into 2 inch cubes. Place the cubes into a large pot and cover with water; I fill it to 1 inch above the potatoes. Boil the potatoes until they are fork tender. Drain well and place into a large mixing bowl or into a stand mixer. Add the butter, milk, salt, and pepper. Beat until smooth.

You can modify this recipe very easily. For Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes just substitute buttermilk for the regular milk. For Garlic Mashed Potatoes add 6 cloves of peeled garlic to the potatoes while they are boiling. You can even turn these into Cheesy Mashed Potatoes by adding in 1 cup of grated Cheddar Cheese. Pick the variation that works best for your Thanksgiving meal.

Instead of serving Mashed Potatoes at Thanksgiving you can add variety by making roasted potatoes. Again, you can modify this recipe to fit you pallet.

Use 2 to3 pounds of baking potatoes; figure ½ a potato per serving. Cut each potato in half lengthwise, and turn cut side down. Then cut each half into 4 to 6 slices depending on how large they are. The important part is to keep all the slices the same thickness so they will cook evenly. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Place potato slices into a large gallon size zip lock bag. Add seasoning, 1 to 2 tablespoons of vegetable or olive oil and shake.

Seasoning variations:

For Ranch Potatoes use 1 package of Hidden Valley Ranch powder. Pour into the bag with the potatoes and oil and shake until all slices are coated

For Savory Potatoes use 1 package Lipton Onion Soup mix powder. Pour into the bag with the potatoes and oil and shake until all slices are coated

For "plain" roasted potatoes add ¾ teaspoon salt; ½ teaspoon sugar; ¼ teaspoon dry mustard; ¼ teaspoon garlic powder and oil into the bag and shake to cover all the potato slices.

Once the slices are covered place them onto a baking sheet, peel side down. Spray the potatoes lightly with cooking spray if there is any remaining powder left in the shaking bag sprinkle it over the slices. Bake these delish potatoes for 25 to 30 minutes or until fork tender. Enjoy them plain, with ketchup, or ranch dipping sauces.

These are just a few ways to enjoy potatoes during your Thanksgiving meal. I hope there is one you fall in love with! From my table to yours, enjoy!