Crowd Sourced Mashed Potatoes Food

MASHED POTATOES FOR A CROWD

Steps:

• Steam or boil potatoes. When soft, drain and place in a large bowl. You will probably have to do this in sections. Mash until there are no lumps, if you have a heavy duty mixer, whip on high for 2 minutes. Add milk, margarine and salt to taste. Whip until light and creamy. Cover and refrigerate until about an hour before needing them. Put them covered in the oven at about 350 degrees F for an hour or so to warm. Stir to fluff them and serve. You can add a little more warm milk if they feel too dry.

MAKE-AHEAD MASHED POTATOES FOR A CROWD

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients; mixing well.
• Place in large casserole.
• Refrigerate until ready to use.
• (May be stored in refregerator for 5 days) When ready to use, let set at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Bake at 350 degrees F.
• for 50-60 minutes, or until heated through.

MAKE AHEAD MASHED POTATOES FOR A CROWD

Steps:

• Butter and cream cheese should be allowed to soften at room temperature for ease of use. Leaving them on the counter while you peel the potatoes should be sufficient.
• Peel potatoes, rinse, and cut into large chunks. Place in a large stockpot and fill with enough water to cover the potatoes and boil till tender.
• While potatoes boil, blend 1 1/3 cup butter with the cream cheese. (This is best done in a stand mixer.) Add sour cream and mix well. Set aside.
• Chop green onions, and refrigerate in a ziplock bag till serving time.
• Drain cooked potatoes and mash or whip to your liking (I like them super smooth, but some people prefer them lumpy.).
• Add the dairy blend to the potatoes and mix well. You can either do this in your stock pot, or divide it up into more manageable portions.
• Once it's all mixed, load it into your crockpot and whack it into the fridge.
• On serving day, dot the top of the potatoes with the remaining butter. Put the crockpot on low setting for 2-3 hours or until heated thru, then turn down to 'keep warm' setting (if your crockpot has one) till dinner time.
• Can be served directly from the crockpot for buffet, or divvied up into serving dishes for family style dining.

SUNNY'S CROWD-SOURCED STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat a countertop oven to 300 degrees F.
• Place the bread cubes in a single layer on two quarter sheet trays (9-by-13-inch baking sheets) or countertop oven baking sheets and bake until dried out and crisp, about 15 minutes. Remove the bread cubes to a very large bowl.
• Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees F.
• Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the celery, onions and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the sage, thyme, garlic and scallion whites and continue to cook until the vegetables and herbs meld together, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the vegetable mixture to the bowl with the bread cubes. Add the chestnuts and saltines and mix to combine well.
• Whisk together the cream of mushroom soup and turkey stock in a medium bowl or large measuring cup. Pour over the bread cubes and vegetables. Season with salt and pepper and mix to combine well.
• Transfer the bread mixture to a 9-by-9-by-2 1/2-inch broiler-safe baking dish. Using a wooden spoon, press down to compact the stuffing. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
• Remove the foil and switch the countertop oven to broil. Broil the stuffing until the top is golden brown and crispy, 2 minutes on high. Garnish with the scallion greens and Fried Sage, if using.
• Heat the vegetable oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat to 375 degrees F. To test if the oil is ready for frying, drop in a small sage leaf. If it begins to sizzle, the oil is ready. Add the sage leaves to the oil and fry until crisp, 20 to 25 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, remove the leaves to a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle with salt.

CROWD-SOURCED MEAT LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400˚ F. Rub the bottom and sides of a deep 9-by-13-inch baking dish (about 5 quarts) with olive oil. Set aside.
• Make the sauce: Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, 1 teaspoon oregano and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the beef and sausage and cook, breaking up the meat into crumbles with a spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook until everything is well coated and the tomato paste is a shade darker, about 2 minutes. Add the vermouth and cook, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot, until almost dry. Add the crushed tomatoes, 1 1/2 cups water, the remaining 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon salt and a generous amount of pepper. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to low and simmer gently until the sauce reduces slightly, 20 to 25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; add a pinch of sugar if the tomatoes taste sharp.
• Meanwhile, cook the noodles: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook, stirring, until just al dente and pliable, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a colander; run cool water over the noodles and separate them.
• Make the filling: Lightly beat the eggs in a medium bowl. Add the ricotta, 2/3 cup Parmesan, the parsley, 3/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper and stir until combined.
• Assemble the lasagna: Spread a thin layer of sauce (about 1 cup) in the bottom of the baking dish. Top with 3 noodles, laying them lengthwise. Top the noodles with one-quarter of the remaining sauce (about 2 cups). Dollop one-third of the ricotta mixture (about 1 1/2 cups) on top and spread in an even layer. Top with 3/4 cup mozzarella and 1 tablespoon Parmesan. Repeat these layers two more times (noodles, sauce, ricotta mixture, mozzarella and parmesan). For the last layer, add the remaining 3 noodles, sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan.
• Cover the baking dish with foil, sealing the edges (do not press the foil into the cheese). Bake until the lasagna is hot and bubbly, 35 to 40 minutes. Uncover and continue baking until golden brown, 20 to 30 more minutes. Let cool at least 20 minutes before slicing.

BEST OLD-FASHIONED MASHED POTATOES FOR A CROWD

Steps:

• Put the potatoes in a large saucepan, cover with cold water by about 1 inch and add 2 tablespoons salt. Bring to a boil, uncovered, over high heat, and then reduce the heat to medium-high and simmer briskly until fork tender, about 45 minutes. Drain the potatoes, reserving 1/2 cup of the water. Quarter the potatoes and pass them through a food mill or ricer back into the pan. (Peel them first if you are using a ricer). When the potatoes are almost done, heat the buttermilk in a small saucepan over medium-high heat to just under a simmer. Set aside; it will separate and look curdled but don't worry, it will mix in fine. Fold the buttermilk and reserved cooking water into the potatoes over low heat. Then fold in the butter a handful of pieces at a time until fully incorporated. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot.