Grandpa’s Party Potatoes
These aren't your basic potatoes - two special ingredients make sure of that.
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These are not my grandpa’s Party Potatoes, but as soon as I saw what they contained, I sure wished they were. I would have loved to have already had a lifetime of opportunities to eat these instead of just discovering them now, but as they say, better late than never. See, these aren’t just any mashed potatoes… these have a few special ingredients that set the flavor apart from any you’ve had before and they have an easy make-ahead preparation. You just might say they’re perfect for a party!
These start like most other mashed potatoes do, with the boiling of potatoes. But once you’re done with that, things get a little more interesting… There’s butter and milk and salt and pepper that get mixed in – that’s normal enough – but then there are two things that are a little more unusual: cream cheese and French onion dip. Now, cream cheese has a way of making anything taste better so I didn’t expect anything different here, and French onion dip is pretty much always calling my name so as soon as I saw those two ingredients, I knew this recipe was a must-try.
A Mary Kay Elert from St. Paul Minnesota was kind enough to share this recipe with the world and she says, “My grandpa, who gave me this recipe, liked the way the cream cheese and onion dip created a wonderful velvety texture. I often assemble these potatoes the night before, then pop them in the oven the next day.” Her grandpa was right to like that texture. It is velvety and smooth and the flavor is a very mild sweet onion. You almost can’t quite place what’s in it, you just know that it’s rich and delicious.
This is the type of dish that gets scraped clean first when it’s set on the holiday table and since these taste pretty indulgent they’re perfect for holidays or parties or any gathering where food is served. The make-ahead prep makes them easier than a traditional mashed potato for those type of occasions too – the cream cheese helps them hold their wonderful velvety texture so you don’t have to worry about timing the same way you do with classic mashed spuds.
Grandpa's Party Potatoes
Ingredients
- 12 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, cubed and softened
- 1 (8 oz) carton French onion dip
- Paprika, for garnish
Preparation
- Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with salted cold water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook until tender, 15-20 minutes. Drain.
- Mash potatoes until no lumps remain. Stir in butter, milk, salt, and pepper, until smooth. Add cream cheese and onion dip and mix well.
- Transfer potatoes to a greased 2 1/2 qt baking dish. Sprinkle with paprika. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 8 hours and up to overnight.
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F. Remove potatoes from refrigerator 30 minutes prior to baking.
- Uncover and bake until heated through, 50-60 minutes. Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Taste of Home.