Garlic Mashed Potatoes

As promised, here is my recipe for Garlic Mashed Potatoes.  I actually don't get to make them very often since my kids prefer potatoes of the oven roasted variety, but The Honey and I love these.  In fact, I'm kind of a mashed potato snob.  I really (and I do mean really) don't like instant mashed potatoes.  And although it takes a slightly longer time to make regular mashed potatoes, it's totally worth the investment.  Trust me.

As an added bonus to this recipe, it's going to roll into the next one - we're going to save our water from boiling the potatoes and turn it into the softest bread you have ever had.  So be prepared!

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

4 red potatoes
1/4 c. light butter spread
2-4 Tbsp. milk
1/4 c. light sour cream
salt/pepper to taste
1 clove minced garlic OR garlic powder

Scrub and dice red potatoes.  If desired, you can peel them, but I prefer to leave the skins on.  In this case, the potatoes were old enough that by the time I finished cutting off the blemishes they were half-peeled anyway.  After you've diced the potatoes, place them into about 5-6 cups of boiling water.  Boil for about 15-20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.

When potatoes are finished, remove from water with a slotted spoon, keeping the water in the pan for future use - we're making bread, remember!

Place potatoes in a medium bowl and mash slightly with a fork.

Add remaining ingredients and mix well with a spoon.  If you prefer no lumps in your mashed potatoes, use a kitchen mixer.

Tip #1: 
 You can adjust the amount of milk you add to make the potatoes thicker if you desire. I prefer thicker mashed potatoes, so I only add the lesser amount of milk. If you aren't sure, start with 2 tablespoons and add a little more at a time till potatoes are the desired consistency.

Tip #2:
If you've never made garlic mashed potatoes before and aren't sure how much you are "into" garlicky stuff, I recommend using garlic powder your first time around.  After you have added your desired salt/pepper, add about 1/4 tsp. of garlic powder at a time, mix and taste.  If you like it, stop.  If you want it more garlicky, add a little more.  Fresh minced garlic can be very strong if you aren't careful or you have a large clove and if you aren't used to garlic, you may want to opt for the safer bet of the garlic powder.

The end result?  Umm, umm, good!