Mashed potatoes are a staple of the holiday and a classic comfort in most parts of the world. (It seems like peoples who don’t like the either have a favorite way of cooking them on their own or just don’t have them at all.) But the same old, same old can get very boring after awhile, so lets talk about the options you happen to have.

Options for flavors for your potatoes:

1). Make them traditional

2). Add grated parmesan or asagio cheese

3). Add garlic

4). Top with cheddar cheese and bacon bits

5). Top with cayenne pepper (lightly) and a little bit of salt.

6). Top with ground ginger and nutmeg (extremely lightly).

Some service options:

1). In a bowl- family style

2). Directly on plates

3). In the skins (hallow out the skins of the potatoes, which has been cut in half. Then make your mashed potatoes as you usually would and refill the skins with the mashed potatoes. Then serve as is or bake until the top is slightly flakey)

4). Dished out on top of a slice of meat or a piece of thick bread (mainly diners favor this approach)

5). Sculpted by your favorite shape of Jello mould. I suggest that you spray the mould with baking spray and flour it before you attempt this, just be sure to go light on the flour.

Well now that you have 6 options for flavors and 5 options for ways to serve your yummy and starchy pay load you have no excuse to go on using the same boring old mashed potatoes at every event. Live a little bit and have some fun and let your guests (and your taste buds) try something new and exciting. I promise you, the guests at your next event will thank you (and probably me too) when you do this. They are bored too, I know, I asked. (Just kidding, I would need a massive research team for that, or a media outlet to publish me… Oh, wait…. Hahaha)

Oh, you say that you don’t know how to make a basic mashed potato. What a shame that all of my sage and savory advice just may go to waste with you. Well, no fear. You took the time and trouble to read all the way down here so I will, in turn do you a boon and tell you a little secret. There is a basic mashed potato primer on this blog.