One of my favorite meals (like any lady) is a nice steak and a pile of mashed potatoes. My mashed potato recipe has always been pretty basic: cook up some potatoes, add in some milk and butter and mash them by hand until the lumps are smaller than the size of the original potatoes. I love potatoes and would happily eat them plain, right out of the pot, so it never really bothered me that my mashed version lacked a little flair (and Justin hadn’t complained yet, so why mess with a “good” thing?).

Then it occurred to me that at some point I might have to serve them to other people who might like some sort of flavor. We had some buttermilk left over from when I made cornbread muffins a few days ago so I searched around a little for a buttermilk mashed potato recipe. Sandra Lee from the Food Network had one that looked pretty good (with the exception of “2 tablespoons alfredo sauce mix”…what?? I’m going to go ahead and assume that that’s a typo); with a few tweaks we were left with a tasty side dish! The buttermilk gave them a nice tangy flavor; between that and the chives, you are left with a dish that tastes a little like the “loaded” mashed potatoes that you find in restaurants that are probably the nutritional equivalent to deep-fried lard. With only 2 tablespoons of butter, these are a nice alternative! Here is how you make the Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes:

Get your paws on some potatoes, garlic and chives (you can use dried chives but it makes a difference if they’re fresh!).

Start by peeling and cutting the potatoes.

Note: be sure to cut the potatoes into evenly-sized pieces so that you don’t end up with some pieces that are overcooked and others that are undercooked. Also, the smaller the pieces, the faster they will cook.

Transfer potatoes into a large pot and cover with cold water by 1 inch.

Cover and bring to a boil. Lower temperature to medium heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes. Chop the chives and dice the garlic while the potatoes are cooking.

Drain the potatoes

and transfer to a large bowl. I used an electric mixer which yields really smooth mashed potatoes; you can also mash the potatoes by hand if you prefer a coarser texture.

Add the buttermilk, garlic and butter

and mix on medium speed until the potatoes are smooth.

Action shot! Look at it go!

Top with chives and salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes

serves: 6 / prep time: 15 minutes / total time: 35 minutes

• 2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cubed

• 1 cup buttermilk

• 1 clove garlic, diced

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 2 tablespoons chives, chopped

• salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, cover potatoes with cold water by 1 inch. Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Lower temperature to medium heat and cook the potatoes until tender when pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes. While the potatoes are cooking, chop the chives and dice the garlic. Drain the potatoes and transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the buttermilk, garlic and butter and whip on medium speed until smooth. Top with chives and serve. Salt and pepper to taste.