Mashed Potatoes

Serves about 4

• 6 smallish Yukon Gold potatoes (I just take the 6 smallest I find in the bag since they are annoying to use for baked potatoes or oven fries)
• 1/4 - 1/2 stick of unsalted butter (only have salted? well, just use less salt when you are mashing! The yukons have a buttery taste so you don't need as much butter as you think you might.)
• milk (I couldn't tell you how much - I just add it until the texture is right)
• kosher salt - to taste (I use a few pinches)

Peel the potatoes (or don't - trufax: the peels contain potassium and vitamin A) and chop them into pieces about 3/4". This is not an exact science so don't break out a ruler - just keep them roughly the same size so they cook evenly. Put them in a pot on the stove with enough cold water to cover and then bring them to a boil on med/med-high heat. Let them go until the potatoes are fork tender (about 20-30 minutes.)

Drain potatoes, put them back in the pot and toss in a few Tablespoons of butter, a pinch or so of salt and a splash of milk. Some people say you need to heat the milk and the butter before adding them, but I am lazy and have found that mashing room temperature butter with the still-steaming hot potatoes is just fine. Mash all of that together, then take a taste. Too bland? Add salt. Not creamy enough? Add butter. Dry as hell? Add milk. Repeat until you love them (though when you get to half a stick of butter in the pot, you migyou CAN freeze mashed potatoes. Leave about 1/2" head room at the top of the container and they can keep in the freezer for about a year. (But seriously, they are so easy to make that there is no need to make a lifetime supply at once - I try to make enough for one meal plus leftovers.) To use frozen mashed potatoes, just heat them on the stove with some butter and milk and stir nearly constantly until warm and wonderful. You can reheat refrigerated ones like this too, but when I am reheating mashed potatoes I tend to also be reheating meat and veggies as well - I put the oven on 350, put everything into a brownie pan/round cake pan/pie plate/whatever is handy, cover with foil and bake 15-20 minutes. It is helpful to kind of stir things up a bit halfway through.ht want to knock it off - too much of a good thing and all.)