Make Ahead Dairy Free Mashed Potatoes

When I considered Thanksgiving dinner and converting everything to be allergy-safe, I made this way harder than it needed to be. I do what I always do. Hop on the internet, surf over to Google, type in dairy-free whatever-else-free I need, let the links unfold, then angst over which recipe looks the least alien to the original.

What I should have done was simply take my old recipe, replace the milk and butter with my go-to dairy subs, and get on with it. Not so hard, really.

My daughter claims she doesn't like coconut milk b/c it's too strong, but in reality, I cook so much with it, she hardly notices. I steered clear of it as my dairy replacement in mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving so it wouldn't overpower the taste. In truth, I used a combination of coconut milk, hemp milk, and chicken broth, and no one was the wiser.

I've since made mashed potatoes with all chicken broth and it was terrific. Not what I'd make for a traditional holiday meal, but it's great with a Mediterranean chicken dish I made last week. I'll have to post that someday.

This is based on a recipe from Betty Crocker's New Cookbook - remember cookbooks? I still occasionally consult one, but those days are waning. I make these in my crockpot so they stay warm while I'm dealing with last minute dinner prep - turkey carving, gravy-making, table-setting, etc.

We like mashed taters very creamy, so be forewarned. If you like yours thicker, dial back the milk sub.

Dairy-Free Mashed Potatoes

• 8-10 boiling or Yukon gold potatoes
• 1/3 to 1/2 C very warm dairy free milk (I use So Delicious coconut milk)
• 2-3 T dairy-free butter ( I use soy-free Earth Balance)
• 1 t Celtic salt (if using finer ground salt, you may want less)
• pepper to taste

Preheat crockpot to warm or low setting. Add DF butter to soften.

Scrub potatoes, peel and cut into large pieces.

Boil 30 minutes or until tender. Drain in colander.

Dump in warmed crockpot. Add DF butter and beat with hand mixer until lumps are gone.

Add salt and pepper, then slowly add milk until potatoes are to desired consistency.

Cover and keep on low until ready to eat.

Roasted Potato Wedges

This isn't Christmas dinner fare since my daughter insists mashed potatoes are the only potato allowed on the holiday dinner table - better on which to slather gravy - but these tasty potatoes are a staple side dish in the winter months.

I've had some challenges getting these to bake correctly, though. They stick like crazy to the tin foil I place over the cookie sheet. The sheet stays clean but the tin foil ends up enjoying more of the potato than we do.

I finally sat down and researched this phenomenon. Popped it into Google and voila! Instant answers. The main culprit was the tin foil. No surprise there. Many suggested dousing it with oil, but the vast majority of the posters recommended either no-stick foil or using a different type of baking dish - ceramic or glass - and placing the potatoes directly on the well-oiled, preheated surface.

The problem is the moisture in the potatoes. To prevent them from releasing fluid and thereby creating the liquid lock that causes them to stick, they must go directly on a preheated surface with plenty of oil so the skins seals up quickly before liquid releases.

I tried preheating the pan with the foil in it, but still got a gluey mess. I've had such bad luck with foil, I didn't bother with no-stick foil. I said goodbye to easy cleanup and went straight to a ceramic pan, preheating it with oil before dumping the potatoes in. Success! No sticking. Bigger cleanup, of course, but a much more satisfying culinary experience.

I wish I could tell you where I got this recipe. I found it on the internet years ago before I had the good sense to note the source when I saved it to my computer. I adapted it slightly as it had a boatload of salt in the original version (a tablespoon!), but these easy wedges are crispy and delicious and satisfy the french fry craving in my kids.

Roasted Potato Wedges

5-6 russet potatoes, scrubbed
1 t crushed rosemary
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t onion powder
1 t salt (I use a heaping t of celtic salt)
pepper to taste
4 T extra virgin olive oil

Place a greased 9 x 11 baking dish (glass or ceramic) in oven. Preheat oven 425°.

Directions

Cut potatoes in 6-8 wedges/tater.

Place wedges in a gallon Ziplock bag.

Add spices and olive oil. Close bag and mix together until spices are combined and oil is evenly distributed.

Remove baking dish (with oven mitts!) and place on a pot holder.

Dump taters in pan and use tongs to evenly distribute. For crispy taters, place on the cut side, not the skin side.

Bake 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven, turn taters to the other cut side, and rotate dish.

Place back in oven and bake another 15 minutes or until taters are to desired crispiness.