Mashed Potatoes With Mix-Ins

Photo: flickr user Ned Raggett

Ingredients

4 lrg baking potatoes peeled, and

cut into pieces

1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup butter or margarine - (½ 1 tablespoon Tabasco brand Green Pepper Sauce

2 teaspoons chopped parsley

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Preparation

Place potatoes and enough water to cover in 4-quart saucepan over high heat; bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 20 to 25 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Drain. Return potatoes to saucepan and shake over heat to remove excess moisture.

Mash potatoes well in large bowl with a potato masher or fork (or put them through a ricer). In small saucepan, heat milk, butter and Tabasco brand Green Pepper Sauce until warm; stir into mashed potatoes along with parsley and salt; whip with fork, whisk or electric mixer until light and fluffy. Serve immediately.

This recipe yields 6 servings.

Mashed Potato Mix-Ins:Cheese - 1/2 cup crumbled, shredded or grated cheese; blue, sharp cheddar, feta, Parmesan

Bacon - 1/3 cup cooked and crumbled crisp bacon

Green onions - 1/3 cup minced green onions

Fresh herbs - 2 tablespoons snipped fresh basil, chives, dill, marjoram, oregano, tarragon, thyme or sage

Onions - 1/2 cup chopped cooked red or white onions or leeks

Garlic - 1 tablespoon roasted garlic puree, or four cloves garlic boiled and mashed with potatoes

Cabbage - 1 cup coarsely grated cooked cabbage

Sauerkraut - 1 cup fresh or canned sauerkraut, drained and chopped

Sausage - 1/2 cup chopped salami, pepperoni, or crumbled cooked sausage

Horseradish - 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish