Holiday Side Idea: Creamy, Cheesy Mashed Potatoes

I love the holidays, mostly because of all the delicious food I get to sample.  My favorite dish by far is my dad’s creamy mashed potatoes; my love for it is so profound that it regularly makes an appearance at my birthday dinner, and my dad usually prepares a separate dish for me to take home.  If you’re looking for a break from the standard mashed potatoes and gravy this holiday season, these are definitely a crowd-pleaser.

Creamy Mashed Potatoes:

• 10 medium potatoes
• 6 ounces of cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sour cream (or plain yogurt)
• 2 tsp. onion salt
• 1 tsp. garlic salt
• Dash of pepper
• 2 tbs. butter
• Grated cheddar or parmesan cheese
• Dash of paprika

1. Peel and quarter potatoes, boil until done and drain.
2. Mash potatoes until smooth, mix in cream cheese, sour cream, salt and pepper.  Beat well.
3. Refrigerate at least 12 hours.
4. When ready to bake, place potatoes in greased casserole dish.  Dot with butter, top with cheese and paprika.
5. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes.
6. Enjoy!

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Try a Deep Fried Thanksgiving Turkey This Year

If you’re like me, just thinking about being responsible for the main event on Thanksgiving – in other words, the TURKEY – is enough to keep you up at night.  I haven’t hosted very many years at my own home, but this year we are having 11 people up north to our cabin, which means I haven’t been sleeping!

Since we have a smaller crowd, it is a perfect year to use the deep fryer.  We have done this before, for other Thanksgivings (as a secondary turkey, mind you) or other occasions, like a New Year’s Day meal.  But this time, the ONLY option is our deep fried turkey, and the pressure is all on us, so we’ve made sure to plan ahead for our deep frying adventure.

If you’ve decided to take the plunge this year and fry your Thanksgiving turkey, the following are essentials:

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