By cooking these potatoes in their skin and then peeling them, you benefit from more nutrients being absorbed into the potato’s flesh. Plus, they are much easier to peel after they’ve been cooked; just rub them with a paper towel or a butter knife. This makes a large batch and is great for serving half and freezing half for later. We reheat a lot of pre-made meals from the freezer. For this reason my man, Eric, says our dish is really thrice baked. Har Har.
For fluffier boiled potatoes, after you drain the water, cover the pot with a double thickness of paper towels and the pot’s lid. In ten minutes, steam will be absorbed by the towels and your potatoes will be dry and fluffy.
Serves 12
2 1/2 quart boxes of Everblossom new potatoes (about 7 pounds)
8 tablespoons (1 stick) plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 or 2 pieces of bacon, chopped
2 small onions, finely chopped
1/2 pound sharp white Cheddar, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 eggs, lightly beaten
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Scrub the potatoes well and rinse under cool running water. Start them in a pot of cool water and bring to a boil together for the most even cooking. Boil in salted water for about 20 minutes or until fork-tender. Drain and set aside until cool enough to handle.
When the potatoes have cooled, use a paper towel to rub off their skins. Place the potato flesh in a large bowl and add 1 stick of the butter, the sour cream, heavy cream, salt, and pepper and mash until chunky-smooth.
Fry the chopped bacon until the fat is melting and then add the onions. Stir until the onions are softened and absorbing that bacon flavor, about 5 minutes.
To the mashed potatoes, add the bacon and onions, cubed white Cheddar and eggs and mix thoroughly.
Butter two 8×8-inch casserole dishes (or a single 9 by 13-inch casserole) with the remaining tablespoon of butter.
Place the potato mixture in the prepared casserole. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until bubbly around the edges and heated through and the top is lightly browning. Serve hot.
lemmon twist 