Potato Perfection

Who doesn’t love mashed potatoes?

No one. That’s who.

But making them for a crowd can at times be a pain in the arse since you gotta get the dish all together right at the last minute.

Thankfully, my girl Giada De Laurentiis totally has an amazing solution with her Baked Mashed Potatoes with Parmesan Cheese and Breadcrumbs from her cookbook, “Giada’s Family Dinners.”

You can set it all up ahead and just pop the potatoes in the oven 20 minutes before eating.

This is pretty much a staple at Thanksgiving. But Mark and I had his parents and my parents over for dinner this weekend, so I whipped up a batch for the Moms and Pops.

These are pretty much my most fav mashed potatoes ever. And adults and the kiddies love the dish, too.

Baked Mashed Potatoes with Parmesan Cheese and Bread Crumbs
From “Giada’s Family Dinners”
Giada De Laurentiis
(Makes 6 to 8 servings)

1 Tbsp. unsalted butter, plus ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
Salt
4 lbs. russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup whole milk, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. dried plain bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Coat a 13 x 9 x 2 baking dish with the 1 Tbsp. of butter. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the potatoes until they are very tender, about 15 minutes. Drain; return the potatoes to the same pot and mash well. Beat in the milk and melted butter, then mix in the mozzarella cheese and ¾ cup of the Parmesan cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer the potatoes to the prepared baking dish. In a small bowl, stir together the bread crumbs and the remaining ¼ cup of Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the mashed potatoes. (The dish can be prepared to this point up to 6 hours ahead. Cover and chill. Bring back to room temperature before baking.)

Bake uncovered until the topping is golden brown, about 20 minutes.