Thanksgiving Recipe Twist: Hashed and Creamed Potatoes
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Of all the holidays throughout the year, Thanksgiving has the most consistent menu across the board. Insert one large bird, a heaping pile of stuffing, some spuds, copious amounts of cranberry sauce, green veggies in casserole form and a pie. While a handful of people go right off the rails with bold swaps like turducken for the main event, few people veer too far off the usual, predictable path. And even though there are a few other wanderings from the norm (here’s looking at you, deep-fried turkey and cornbread stuffing people), if you decided to park your fork and knife at any other table from coast to coast on the last Thursday of November, you’d likely get a solid plate of what you’re used to getting. There is nothing wrong with this good old-fashioned Thanksgiving dinner scenario, of course. People find great comfort in the 4lbs of dependable deliciousness this meal brings them promptly at 3pm on this day every year. But there are those who look forward to a little risk and adventure or would love to at least entertain the idea of something new that friends and family might crave for the 364 days that subsequently follow the year’s most All-American feast.
Move Over Mashed Murphys
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If you are the type that is looking for just a wee bit of nuance when it comes to your Thanksgiving spread, a wonderful place to be experimental is on the side. You stand in solidarity with the classic, roasted turkey and you wouldn’t dare switch up Nana’s chestnut stuffing, but mashed potatoes aren’t foreign to your regular menu and while absolutely delish, they don’t really stand out as anything terribly special on a holiday table. Enter the hashed and creamed potatoes. Only mildly more laborious, executing this change-up on everybody’s favorite carb is simple and well worth the little bit of elbow grease required. This indulgent recipe is not for the faint of heart nor is it for the actual heart patients. There’s a whole mess of butter and cream holding up this dish. But for one day a year, it warrants a hall pass for the the few extra calories as it will positively blow the minds of all your guests and will guarantee a completely and thoroughly cleaned dish before the pumpkin pie even comes close to hitting the oven.
Hashed and Creamed Potatoes
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What You Need:
8 large baking potatoes
16 oz container of half and half
1 stick of butter
1 T garlic powder
S&P to taste
What You Do:
*The night before Thanksgiving: Boil potatoes in skins until soft, 30-35 minutes. Drain and cool overnight*
Preheat oven to 350. Peel and grate potatoes on large-holed side of a box grater and set aside. Melt butter in a 9x13 glass baking dish. Sprinkle ½ of potatoes on the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle with half the garlic powder and several dashes of salt and pepper. Layer in remainder of potatoes and season with rest of garlic powder and another round of salt and pepper. Pour entire container of half and half evenly over the dish. With a fork, gently fold cream into potatoes, mixing ingredients being careful not to mash. Taste for seasonings and adjust if needed. Bake for 20-25 minutes until slightly golden. Let rest 5 minutes before scooping and serving.
**Note: this dish may be made up to two days ahead of Thanksgiving. Leave on the counter and bring to room temperature approximately 1-2 hours before baking and serving.