It’s recipe
sharing time! In the spirit of sharing, I hope you’ll leave me a comment with a
link to a recipe that your family loves. :)
Last night I made
one of our favorite fall/winter side dishes – a mashed veggie combo that we
have dubbed “Monster Mash”.
(And yes, Marcy –
this is my actual food in my actual bowl, on my actual table this time!)
Monster Mash
started as a happy accident. I didn’t have enough potatoes one night, and threw
some carrots into the pot to stretch what I had. Some sort of mini family
crisis happened that called me away from the kitchen (it likely involved
markers and walls, but I don’t remember specifically). The potatoes &
carrots wound up overdone, and I decided to just mash them all together with
some cheese and give it a clever name. It’s all about the marketing, right? It
was a hit with the fam and they asked me to make it again – go figure. As
PeeWee Herman would say, “I meant to do that!”
Then I came
across a mashed potato recipe that included leeks. I love leeks, so I borrowed
that part of the recipe and incorporated it into mine the next time I made it.
It was off-the-charts yummy, and became the new Monster Mash “secret ingredient”.
There aren’t any official
measurements, but basically, here’s what you do:
First of all, be
prepared to find yourself singing, “I did the mash…I did the monster mash…the
monster mash…it was a dinnertime smash” in your best Boris Karloff voice while
cooking, and for up to a day after making it. You have been warned, and I take
no further responsibility for the looks you will receive from your family,
particularly children of the teenage variety.
Peel and
quarter a couple of pounds of white potatoes. Peel 4 or 5 carrots & cut to
roughly the same size as the potato pieces. Put in a pot, cover with water,
throw in a little salt, and boil until soft.
In a skillet,
melt about a half a stick of butter (I know, I know!). Slice up a couple of
leeks and toss those in the butter. Cook for 5 minutes or so. Add about a cup
of milk. Bring to a boil and simmer & stir for a few minutes.
The leeks smell
fabulous while they’re cooking, but unless eau de leek is among your favorite
home fragrances, you’ll want to have a scented candle or two on hand the next
day. Trust me on this one!
Drain the
potatoes & carrots, and put them back in the pot, along with the leek
mixture and a big handful of grated sharp cheddar. Mash ‘em up (while singing the song, of course). Add more milk
if it’s too thick, and however much salt and pepper tastes good to you.
It makes enough
to feed a big, hungry family, plus the kid up the street.