Creamy Mashed Potatoes with Goat Cheese
Alright ya’ll know how I loooooove my goat cheese….you have got to be kidding me these potatoes are so stinkin’ delicious. Unfortunately they were not my idea. I would love to take credit for them but alas, I cannot. We threw a pre-Thanksgiving dinner for my husband’s research group a couple weeks ago and we did it potluck-style. I made the meat and fixings and had everyone bring sides and one of our wonderful guests brought potatoes with goat cheese and I think dinner nearly stopped right there for me. I could have just taken the whole bowl of potatoes and gone and sat in a corner by myself and eaten them. I didn’t because then everyone would have thought I was weird but I wanted to, but then there was this roasted squash salad another guest brought and once I had a bite of that I was able to move on the from the potatoes. Goodness there are some really fabulous cooks in his research group! I guess chemists should be pretty good at cooking right? I did my best to recreate them after grilling the person who made them about what she had put in. I think I came pretty close. I just about went into my little quiet place where I eat butter and goat cheese and people think I’m weird. It’s ok, I am pretty sure people think I’m a little off anyway. I have goats. How can you NOT be a teensy bit weird and own goats? I ok with it. I don’t think I will be able to make these exclusively for the family for our real Thanksgiving – to many people wouldn’t be to handle the amazingness of the change – but I am certainly going to make these in addition because everyone NEEDS to eat these. And I have lots of goat cheese. Because I have goats.
- 6 large red new potatoes
- ½ large head of cauliflower
- 8 ounces chèvre, room temperature
- 6 ounces room temperature butter
- salt to taste
- 2 tablespoons minced parsley
- Quarter the potatoes and place them in a pot of salted water. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer, covered until the potatoes are soft and easily pricked by a fork.
- Meanwhile, chop the cauliflower into bite size pieces and steam until soft and also pierced easily with a fork.
- Place the goat cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer.
- Once the potatoes and cauliflower are soft, drain the potatoes and add them to the goat cheese and butter and fit the mixer with the whisk attachment (you can also certainly use a regular potato masher for this and get excellent results, I am simply lazy and I like them whipped). Start on a low speed, until things are getting pretty mashed up.
- Then place the cauliflower into a food processor and pulse until smooth.
- Add to the potato mixture and turn the mixer on, again start slow and once the cauliflower is a little bit incorporated, move to higher speed and really whip them. If they seem thick go ahead and add a little milk until they are the consistency you like.
- I prefer to use milk and not cream for this (shocking right?) I find you get a lighter, fluffier product, cream makes them heavy. Only add a couple tablespoons at a time though, you don't want to overdo it and get runny potatoes.
- Once they are good and mashed, add the parsley and then serve.
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