Michigan Cottage Cook: GERMAN BUTTERBALL POTATOES COTTAGE-STYLE PLUS A COUPLE OF EASY HINTS FOR COOKING POTATOES

This recipe is so easy I am hesitate to post it; however whenever I make it, and I make it alot especially in the summer, everyone wants to know what is in the potatoes because they are so good. I use German Butterball Potatoes from Visser Farms, but this would also be wonderful with Yukon Gold Potatoes. Besides being so good, this recipe holds up to waiting very well which is a consideration when you don't know what time everyone will gather for dinner.

HELPFUL HINTS FOR COOKING POTATOES
1. Maybe everyone knows this trick, but I didn't until about 20 years ago when an old Dutch lady I worked with in the food industry told me about it. After potatoes which have been cooked in water are drained, put the pan of potatoes back on the heat. Shake the pan with the potatoes over the heat, to keep the potatoes from burning, until all the extra water which hasn't drained off is turned to steam and the potatoes are very dry.

2. I learned this trick from my oldest son. Old dogs can learn new tricks. After you have mashed your potatoes in the pan and you aren't going to serve immediately, put a clean dish towel over the top of the pan of potatoes. Then put the lid of the pan on the towel over the pan. This keeps the steam from the potatoes from condensing on the lid and dripping back into the potatoes which makes them watery. This works well for Thanksgiving mashed potatoes or simple smashed potatoes for a summer meal.

German Butterball Potatoes smashed with butter, sour cream, and chives. Enjoy!!

GERMAN BUTTERBALL POTATOES COTTAGE-STYLE PLUS A WAY TO USE ANY LEFT-OVERS IF YOU HAVE THEM AND A COUPLE OF EASY HINTS FOR COOKING POTATOES
The amount of the ingredients depends on how many people you want to feed. The amount of butter and sour cream depends on how much you are watching the calories in food.

German Butterball potatoes or Yukon Gold potatoes
Butter
Sour cream, low-fat works well
Fresh chives, snipped into small pieces
Salt to taste

Rinse potatoes well. In a pot big enough to hold the number of potatoes you are cooking, put the pots and cover them with cold water. Cover the pan. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer. Cook until the potatoes yield easily to a fork. Drain well. Place potatoes back in the pan. Turn on stove burner and place drained potatoes back on the burner. Shake the pan so the potatoes on the bottom do not burn and keep shaking until all the left-over moisture has evaporated. Take the pan off the burner. Coarsely mash the potatoes with a potato masher. Add butter and sour cream to taste. Stir to mix. Add chives and stir. Put a towel over the pan and put the lid on it. (I learned this from my oldest son.) The towel will soak up any excess steam and keep it from making the potatoes soggy until ready to serve.

Rinse and clean potatoes.

Put potatoes in a pan and cover with cold water. Cover pan. Bring to a boil and simmer.

My herb garden in a deck box with my chives.

Cut chives and remove any dead stalks.

Some of us have to work, others get to smell the flowers.

Cut up chives into small pieces with a scissors.

Cook potatoes until fork tender.

Drain well.

Put potatoes back in the pan. Put pan back on the burner and shake over the burner until all the steam is gone.

Coarsely mash potatoes.

Potatoes and skin coarsely mashed.

I like to use sea salt for salting the potatoes.

Add butter, sour cream, and chives. Amount of each ingredient depends on amount of potatoes and how many calories you want to add with the butter. I use low-fat sour cream.

When potatoes are prepared, cover pan with clean dish towel. Put the lid of the pan on the dish towel. Place in a warm spot on the stove until dinner is ready.

These are good with any kind of meat or barbeque.

COOKING LEFTOVER GERMAN BUTTERBALL POTATOES, IF YOU HAVE ANY! I find if you don't serve left-overs the next day but wait a day, no one remembers they are left-overs.