Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes

I know I said this would be 50's week, but I had to make one slight departure.  I was craving really good mashed potatoes to go with this weeks main meal, and unfortunately the mashed potato recipe from 50's Prime Time Cafe was unavailable for home use.  

So for today's recipe, I mentally traveled to my favorite park, EPCOT, to the restaurant that probably has all form meat with mashed potato down to a fine art: Le Cellier. 

I won't get too in depth as to how amazing Le Cellier is (that's best done in a series of posts!), but this restaurant does deserve far more attention than a minor mention in a side dish recipe.  Chances are anybody who's been to Disney and sought out fine dining has ended up here at one point or another.  The steaks, the famous cheese and beer soup, and the chocolate "moose" have made this a place to not be missed.  When I thought of great mashed potatoes to go with a hearty meat dish, I knew I just had to use Le Cellier's cream cheese mashed potatoes.

The nice thing is that these are easily adapted to your individual tastes.  If you like nice and fluffy, like me, just reduce the milk and mash using a masher.  If you like the creamier, more liquified version, like is served at Le Cellier, use a food mill or processor (or that handy dandy hand blender I used in the peanut butter and jelly shake).  Because they serve it fluffy at 50's Prime Time Cafe, I opted for the less milk and masher method.  What I got were heavenly, cloud-like potatoes that almost stole the show.

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Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes

As is served at Le Cellier, Canada Pavilion, EPCOT

 

°o°  2 pounds Idaho potatoes, peeled and chopped in quarters
°o°  8 ounces cream cheese

°o°  1 stick unsalted butter

°o°  1 tablespoon Kosher salt
°o°  1/2 cup warmed milk (you may not use all of it!)

°o°  black pepper, to taste

Boil or steam potatoes in lightly salted water until fork-tender.  Drain, but do not rinse.

Add cream cheese, butter, and salt.  For fluffy potatoes, use a masher and mash potatoes while slowly adding milk until reaching the desired consistency.  Stir to incorporate all ingredients.  For creamier, more liquified potatoes, use a food mill, mixer, or processor to incorporate all ingredients, adding enough milk to reach desired consistency.  

Add black pepper and more salt to adjust seasonings and serve warm.

 

Yield: 8 Servings 

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