Mashed Potatoes and Gravies

[LessasLashes]

With the discussion of potatoes.. now I'm craving.. Had the most divine gravy ever last weekend at a friend's dinner party.. It was mushroom, chardonney, chicken stock and herbs.... Almost orgasmic.. (sorry for the graphic!!)

So how do you "do" your potatoes??? and what kind of gravies???



Bring it on...

[Lorah]

I mashed my potatoes by hand. I use mozza. cheese, sour cream, butter, milk, garlic, salt, peper, and parsley. YUMMY! I add small bits of bacon sometimes, bit more often than not I don't. I make my gravy out of the meat juices... and will add some wine and some mushrooms sometimes....flour, pepper, salt (if needed), lemon, garlic, otehr herbs to taste....I really don't follow any recipe. I make it up as I go...and it is SOOO good!

[Maritza]

Lorah, that is very yummy!!!!!!!

[Maritza]

...Girls!...all the Food talk is making me hungry!...and here I am at home, fighting a cold/cough:(

Lorah, Have you ever consider starting a Catering Service/Business???

[Luckylove]

Hahaha funny you should mention it. I woke up from my nap today and told Dustin that we HAD to have mashed potatoes, gravy, biscuits and flank steak for dinner. I have had this crazy craving for red meat which I never usually eat.

On the gravy topic, I just get the mix or the can. We usually are trying to save calories so I don't usually make gravy with meat or potatoes. Since Im pg all that goes out the window! LOL

[Lynette]

I have done all sorts of things with mashed potatoes so besides the basic potatoes, milk, butter, salt, pepper, I have added cream cheese or cheddar or garlic but last year I found this recipe http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Garlic-Mashed-Potatoes-Secret-Recipe/Detail.aspx and it is soooooo good that there weren't any leftovers at Thanksgiving :) As far as gravy (these potatoes don't need it really), I usually end up getting a jar of mushroom gravy and don't make it from the meat drippings so Salina can have some too although I might do both this year?

[meeg124]

We call my mashed potatoes fat mashed, instead of the "skinny" mashed they have on the chicken broth can :lol I use sour cream, butter, cream or buttermilk, salt and pepper.

I don't eat gravy but when I make it, I use the pan drippings a little flour or cornstarch and usually chicken stock.

[Sara]

I usually make roasted garlic mashed potatoes. Very yummy!! And as for gravy, I tend to use a slurry of flour and milk to thicken, or a roux of butter and flour. Definately use the meat drippings, and sometimes add some stock if there aren't enough juices.

[LMS]

On the gravy topic, I just get the mix or the can. We usually are trying to save calories so I don't usually make gravy with meat or potatoes. Since Im pg all that goes out the window! LOL

Us too. I've yet to find a homemade gravy that wasn't ridiculously high in calories and would kill my calorie count for the day (and gravy just isn't good enough to me to be my splurge for the day :lol) so we go with the mixes.

[lornabrown]

Gravy Gravy Gravy! Yummmm. If anyone has a recipe for a mushroom gravy please send it my way.

I use Bisto gravy. It's instant and you just mix it with water before you put it in the pot, but of course you can add stuff to it. It's really good. Bisto is imported from Britain. You can usually find it either with the imported foods or marinade packets. G&G, Lads, Pacific and Molsberrys carry it.

[justamom]

I boil then mash my potatoes, add butter (or substitute), mayo, diced green onions salt and pepper. It is very yummy!

After we are done cooking the turkey I used the put some of the Turkey juice into a frying pan add flour salt and pepper. Brown. Add milk. Stir till gravy thickens. I don't really measure it.

[Stacey]

Gravy Gravy Gravy! Yummmm. If anyone has a recipe for a mushroom gravy please send it my way.


I'll double check with my aunt (because I need it too) but she basically gets an assortment of mushrooms - button, crimini, portabella, oyster, porcini, and some shitaki. She sautes them with margrine or olive oil until they release most of their moisture. She adds a little red wine. Then I think she mixes in some water/flour mixture, kosher salt, and pepper. It kind of changes each year, but I think that's the basic procedure.

[Lorah]

Lorah, Have you ever consider starting a Catering Service/Business???

I have, but I don't think I could do it right now because it involves so much time and work where I couldn't have Mav with me.....I use to work for a catering co. It was fun, but TONS of work!

[Theresa]

I won the food basket from TJ's last month and there was organic gravy in the basket. So we will try that and then also make some homemade with the drippings. For mashed potatoes I like to use the yukon potatoes with lots of butter, milk, and s/p. Some of the ideas here sound really good! Oh and last week at Costco they had yukon gold instant mashed potatoes and they are sooo good! I'm not a fan on instant mixes, but these are just amazing.