Ingredients:
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
3 lb potatoes, peeled and quartered (or eighthed if they are very large)
3/4 cup chicken or turkey stock
1/3 cup Greek yogurt
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons Brummel & Brown Spread
3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Place the onion, garlic, potatoes, stock, and spices in a 4 quart slow cooker. Stir. Cook and cook on high until potatoes are tender, about 3-4 hours. Add the Brummel & Brown, milk and yogurt, mash. Serve right away or adjust the setting to low to keep warm until you are ready to serve.

Serves: about 8

Note: Resist the urge to add more stock. The potatoes will look “dry” but they will be fine. Adding more stock will result in soup, not mashed potatoes.

My thoughts:

Thanksgiving side dishes are always a popular topic of conversation once Halloween is over. it seems like people are of two types when it comes to Thanksgiving. Those who absolutely must make the exact same things the exact same way every year and those who view Thanksgiving as the best day to dazzle everyone with something new. I’m a mix of both, we go to my parents’ house for Thanksgiving and I normally make one new dish to share but they make pretty much the same things they have since my whole life. This dish is sort of a combination of both philosophies. My family always makes mashed potatoes (imagine my surprise when I went to Thanksgiving at my in-laws house and learned they didn’t make mashed potatoes!) but a pretty plain version. This version has a leg up: not only are they made in the slow cooker, freeing up a burner for other dishes, they are positively infused with flavor from cooking with the onion and garlic for hours. The onion and garlic end up so soft, they mash right into the potatoes, leaving them smooth and flavorful. They are also a bit lighter than some mashed potatoes, the yogurt gives a bit of tang but also makes them very creamy without having to add heavy cream or even whole milk. Perfect for a meal when you might be indulging in more extravagant treats.

Added bonus: this is one of those recipes that doesn’t seem like it would work (mashed potatoes in the slow cooker?) but totally does adds a little “wow” factor to a normally humble side dish.