Last Christmas we were up bright and early prepping for our feast to come later. When my daughter asked me to throw out some ideas for new recipes, I led her to my closet of cookbooks and told her to take her pick. With good taste she chose a favorite old church cookbook of mine containing a recipe for elegant mashed potatoes.  This recipe is decadent and perfect as a holiday side to my tenderloin. I didn’t take the prettiest photo, but the potatoes won high praise!

Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday season! Merry Christmas!

Holiday Potatoes

Ingredients

5 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 3-inch chunks

5 pinches sea salt

1 pound sliced bacon

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cups heavy cream, slightly warmed

1 cup cheddar or gruyere cheese

1/2 cup minced chives

freshly ground pepper

Preparation

Put the potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Add salt and bring to a boil. Simmer over moderately high heat until tender, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the bacon in 2 batches over moderate heat, turning once, until crisp, 8 to 10 minutes per batch. Drain the bacon on paper towels and coarsely chop it.

Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot. Shake the pot over moderately high heat for about 20 seconds to dry the potatoes. Remove. Pass the potatoes through a ricer into a large pot. Add the butter, cream, cheese, chives and bacon and stir well. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Southern Cheese Ring

Perfect for holiday parties, family gatherings, or tailgating, I hope you enjoy one of our family favorite appetizers. Just make sure to run the Jello Mold under hot water before popping off the bottom and the top of the mold. and setting the ring on a platter. Top the cheese ring with pecans, fill with strawberry preserves, and serve with your favorite crackers. I find the Ritz brand works best with this particular recipe. (That’s just a Rosemary Sprig from my garden on top for garnish).

Ingredients

2 (16 ounce) packages sharp cheddar cheese at room temperature, grated

1 cup pecans, toasted, salted and chopped

3/4 -1 cup mayonnaise

1 small onion, minced

2 garlic clove, minced

1⁄2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

sprinkle of cayenne pepper

1 cup strawberry preserves

butter to lightly grease the Tupperware Jello mold

Preparation

Combine all the ingredients and mix well, except the strawberry preserves and chopped pecans. Place the mixture into a lightly buttered Tupperware Jello Mold. Chill for 3 hours. Run warm water over mold and remove the top and bottom. Sprinkle with chopped pecans

Fill the center with the good strawberry preserves. Serve with your favorite crackers.

Option: Shape the mixture into a ring on an attractive serving dish, cover and chill.

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