"These Mashed Potatoes Are SO Creamy"

"These mashed potatoes are so creamy."  Name that movie!  NOW I know what recipe Mary used to make those creamy mashed potatoes.  It MUST have been this one.  I will never make them any other way again.  This method really works to make them creamy and never gummy or dry.  I tried them first last Thanksgiving.  I got the recipe from  The Pioneer Woman.   I've been waiting for over a year to post this recipe so you could have it just before Thanksgiving.  I've made them dozens of times, varying the amount of fat added, but not varying the method.  Honestly, you can get by with lots less fat than originally called for.  I also vary what I put in: butter, cream cheese, cream, half and half, milk etc.  All are good.  The important thing is to get the potatoes dried out with the masher before you add back in the moisture and fat.  I LOVE that you can make these ahead, cover them, store them in the fridge and just heat them when ready to use.  This is especially wonderful for Thanksgiving.  

Mashed potatoes are one of my favorite foods.  To these I added a few threads of saffron.  Wow~

Yummy Mashed Potatoes
5 lbs. potatoes (this will make a large bowl of potatoes)
3/4 cup butter (you can get by with a lot less)
1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
1/2-3/4 cup half and half or milk
Salt, Pepper, other seasonings of choice
Peel and cut the potatoes (as shown above, I don't always peel them, but just scrub them )
Cut into cubes.  In a very large pot, bring a lot of salted water to boil.  Add the potatoes and cook until the potatoes are well done and fork tender.
Here's the important part!!!Drain the potatoes through a colander.  Put them back into the pot and put the pot back on the stove.  Turn the burner to low.  Mash the potatoes with a potato masher while on the low heat.  Watch the steam escape!  Mash and mash until there's little or no steam escaping.  Now turn off the stove and add the half and half or cream. Several sources on the Internet suggested that you need to add the milk first so that the potato can absorb the moisture before adding the fat.  Keep mashing.  Then add the 3/4 cup butter and an 8-oz. cream cheese (or less of both or one or the other) and mash and mash until everything is  well blended and creamy.  Add seasoning of your choice.  The Pioneer Woman suggests seasoning salt.  At least put salt and pepper.  Blend well.
Put in a round casserole or baking dish.  Put some butter on the top.  If you're making them ahead, you can cover them and put them in the fridge at this point. A few hours before you need to serve them, take them out to warm  to room temperature, and then bake in a 350 oven until the potatoes are warmed through and the butter is melted.  Perfect mashed potatoes every time!!!