Smoked Gouda Mashed Potatoes
One of my favorite common American side dishes is “Mashed Potato”. Very first time I have tasted Mashed Potato in the states was when I visited Washington states with home-stay program from high school.
In Japan, we do not have “Mashed Potato” like the one served here in the states. We have “Potato Salad” mashed and mixed with mayonnaise and other vegetables are added. In a way, you could called it “Mashed Potato” but the dish is categorized under salad in Japan.
My grandfather’s “Potato salad” was unique. He added sliced bananas or canned mandarin orange along with sliced English cucumber and sliced cooked ham and cooked and diced carrots in the mashed potato seasoned with salt and pepper.Having fruits in the mashed potato/potato salad might sound odd, but it was tasty. It was always the side dish alongside toast for breakfast at his house.
My mother’s “Potato salad” had boiled egg chopped fine,sliced English cucumber,sliced cooked ham,cooked and diced carrots, and sliced apple. Mashed potato was seasoned with salt and pepper and mayonnaise.
I like to make the potato salad with boiled egg chopped fine, and like to have cooked and diced carrots,sliced English cucumber,sliced cooked ham and either canned mandarin orange drained, or sliced apples.
Apples gives nice crunch and I like having them in the Potato salad. Since my husband is not a big fan of mayonnaise, I use a bit of mayonnaise and bit of mustard and season with Morton’s Nature’s Seasons with blue cap, and bit of white wine vinegar.
Potato used for Japanese Potato salad is Russet potato, and I find that American potato salad usually have celery,onion, and sweet green/red peppers and Paprika is sprinkled, but those are not in Japanese Potato Salad.
After coming over to the states, I find myself making “Mashed potato” a lot, and I now have a favorite way, and favorite flavor to make it.
My husband adores “Smoked Gouda Mashed Potato”, and I have made it for Christmas dinner’s side dish for my in-law family before and they also loved them.
So, I thought I would share the recipe and tips with you. How do you make “Smoked Gouda Mashed Potato” ? Here is how.
Smoked Gouda Mashed Potato,Ham, Vegetable Saute, and Carrot Grasse, and Roll ..
** What type of potatoes I like to use for Mashed potato..
I do not use regular Russet potatoes. I
use Yukon Gold Potatoes. It is more creamy texture, and it definitely
taste much better than regular Russet potatoes.
1. Wash the potatoes, and wrap them
in saran and put it on microwaveable plate and cook them.
*** 1 potatoes
needs 3 minutes plus one minute.
If you use 3 potatoes, 3 potatoes x 3
minutes+1 minutes=10 minutes. It depends on size of the potatoes
but,usually I use 3-5 medium size potatoes for 2 adult serving.
It yield probably 3
adult serving worth, but my husband likes it so much that he eats it a
lot so,it is usually a good amount for us to make.
2. With oven mitten,grab the plate and toss the potatoes onto bowl, and carefully remove the saran.
3. Peel off potato skin
*** I use chopstick to peel off the potato skin
4. To the hot steamy potatoes in the bowl, add 1 tbs butter, pinch of Kosher salt,1-2 handful of shredded smoked
Gouda cheese and mash them
** Heat from the potato will help butter and cheese melt easily
** My choice of cheese is imported Smoked Gouda cheese from Holland. American Gouda cheese lacks flavor a little compared to the one from Holland. You can find the Smoked Gouda cheese at specialty cheese area in local grocery store.
5. Add about 1/2C milk and
stir,and add 1-2 tbs sour cream and keep adding milk til
desired texture. Then,season it with Morton’s Nature’s Season with blue cap and taste it and season more if needed.
** Don’t over whip mashed potato. Over whipped mashed potato let more starch out from potato and,it turns gloppy mashed potatoes.
6. Sprinkle chopped chive or chopped Parsley over the mashed potato
** I meant to add Italian flat Parsley in the mashed potato but forgot to add to my grocery list.
** Sprinkle crispy bacon bits also add flavor to the mashed potatoes too.
<Vegetable saute>
1. To the skillet, drizzle a bit of extra virgin olive oil, and add sliced red/green/yellow/orange peppers along with sliced White onion and season it with Morton’s Nature’s seasons with blue cap
<Carrot grasse>
1. To the sauce pan, add 1-2 handful of baby carrots, add water to 80% depth of carrots, 1tbs butter,1tbs white sugar,sprinkle Morton’s Nature’s Seasons with blue cap, and cover the pan and cook with medium high heat till fork tender
<Ham>
Ham I made for the plate is very simple.
1.Score the skin and insert a whole cloves all around and pour water on roasting pan to about 1/2″ depth, and put the Ham on rack on roasting pan, and paste the Ham with dark brown sugar mixed with spicy brown mustard a little, cover with foil and cook to 30 minutes before the finish time and uncover the foil and paste the Ham with dark brown sugar mixed with spicy brown mustard again, and keep basting every 10-15 minutes till Ham is done.
Unique method I have tried before was with coca cola. Surprisingly,it made such a juicy tasty Ham.
With coca cola method, score the ham and put the Ham on rack and pour 1/2″ depth of coca cola in roasting pan and set the ham on the roasting pan, and cover with foil and baste the Ham every 30 minutes till 30 minutes before the finish time.
Then, make your preferred paste and paste glaze all over the Ham and put the Ham back into oven uncovered and cook through till sugar is dissolved.
Enjoy!
