A good friend of the family saw the post mentioning the Garlic/Sausage Mashed Potatoes and requested the recipe. Thought I'd post it for anyone else interested in a different way to have the same old potatoes.
Garlic/Sausage Mashed Potatoes
4 large Russet potatoes
15 cloves of garlic
1- 2 spicy sausages (not a gigantic one! You could also use the soy protein types, too.)
Garlic powder
Black pepper
Salt to taste
Butter
1/2 cup milk
Put the peeled garlic cloves in a pot along with the broken up sausage and a tablespoon of vegetable oil. If the sausage has a casing (the thin 'skin' around it) remove it first so the meat crumbles as it fries. Cook on low heat so the meat get browned and the garlic turns golden and softens. Remove from heat and let cool down a bit.
Peel the potatoes and quarter them. Place them in a big pot of water with a tablespoon of salt. The salt doesn't stick to the potatoes but it seasons them nicely and they cook better. Simmer until tender.
Drain the potatoes and put them back into the same pot. Melt the butter with the milk until they are hot. Pour into the potatoes and add the seasonings. Taste for seasoning. With a large spoon or potato masher, break up the potatoes and mix them into the milk/butter mixture. There can be lumps but you want it pretty well mixed and combined.
Take the browned sausage / garlic and smash and chop up. Mix thoroughly into your potatoes. Serve!
I like to put the potatoes into a microwave-safe bowl in case I need to reheat them. You can also heat them back up in the pot with the addition of a little more milk to keep them from drying out.
This recipe should serve 4-6 depending on what else you are serving with the meal. The recipe can be easily doubled.
