# Silver Palate mashed potatoes
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silver-palate-mashed-potatoes/641585
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Tags:** food-cooking
**Created:** [November 20, 2012, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silver-palate-mashed-potatoes/641585 "2012-11-20T04:49:35Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2012, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silver-palate-mashed-potatoes/641585/1 "2012-11-20T04:49:35Z")
Not health food by any means, but sheer awesomely rich starchy goodness:
_These mashed potatoes can be made ahead and reheated. Feel free to substitute lower-fat dairy products. Makes 6-8 servings._
9 large baking potatoes, peeled and diced
1⁄2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
3⁄4 cup sour cream
1⁄2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Place the diced potatoes in a large saucepan and add water to cover. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer over medium heat until tender; drain. Place the potatoes in a mixer bowl. Cut the butter and cream cheese into small pieces and add to the potatoes. Beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in the sour cream. Season with the nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately or reheat in a buttered casserole at 300 degrees for 20 minutes.
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### Author:  [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2012, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silver-palate-mashed-potatoes/641585/2 "2012-11-20T07:02:39Z")
Yummy!
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### Author:  [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2012, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silver-palate-mashed-potatoes/641585/3 "2012-11-20T07:08:36Z")
I make the potatoes - butter - cream cheese combination all the time, with occasional sour cream on top when I have it around. Haven’t tried the nutmeg on regular potatoes, just on yams. Will try. I could eat potatoes every day!
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### Author:  [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2012, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silver-palate-mashed-potatoes/641585/4 "2012-11-20T07:47:27Z")
I find cooking the potatoes skin on and then running them through a ricer has better results - the potatoes absorb less of the cooking water. The ricer removes the skins though occasionally we just mash them with a classic masher because we want the skins on.
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### Author:  [@toast\_pakora](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toast_pakora)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2012, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silver-palate-mashed-potatoes/641585/5 "2012-11-20T12:37:55Z")
Just a couple hours ago I was explaining mashed potatoes to a Balinese friend… half a stick of butter… milk… Got stuck on the sour cream part which isn’t common here although you can get it in the foreign food section. “And after, you fry?” because there’s a kind of croquette called a perkedel which is potato and spices deep fried. I said, no fry, and she looked a bit dubious.
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### Author:  [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2012, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silver-palate-mashed-potatoes/641585/6 "2012-11-20T15:31:14Z")
Try 'em for Thanksgiving. You won’t be sorry!
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### Author:  [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2012, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silver-palate-mashed-potatoes/641585/7 "2012-11-20T15:57:28Z")
You almost got it perfect, but you forgot to mention to melt medium cheddar cheese on top just before serving!
This dish (with the melted cheese) is a Thanksgiving staple in our family, known officially as “Mashed potato casserole”, but colloquially as “Bind-you-up potatoes”. Doesn’t matter, though, they’re worth it.
The leftovers also make incredible potato pancakes.
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### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2012, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silver-palate-mashed-potatoes/641585/8 "2012-11-20T16:01:18Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#):
>
> Try 'em for Thanksgiving. You won’t be sorry!
I drown mine in gravy, so it would likely be a wasted effort.
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### Author:  [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2012, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silver-palate-mashed-potatoes/641585/9 "2012-11-20T16:58:33Z")
This has been my go-to recipe for over 20 years. I use an 8-oz container of sour cream and add snipped chives. I run the potatoes through a ricer, which keeps them a little less gummy. I used to use the mixer all the time, though.
It’s a great recipe, because you can make it ahead of time in a casserole dish.
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### Author:  [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2012, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silver-palate-mashed-potatoes/641585/10 "2012-11-20T17:10:18Z")
> [@Chefguy](#):
>
> I drown mine in gravy, so it would likely be a wasted effort.
Well, that’s gilding the lily a bit, but I hope you’ll give 'em a try.
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### Author:  [@OtisCampbellWasRight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtisCampbellWasRight)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2012, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silver-palate-mashed-potatoes/641585/11 "2012-11-20T18:57:03Z")
But why the “silver palate?”
In my part of the USA, a company called Silver Palate markets a steel-cut oatmeal (which is great, assuming you like oatmeal), but not anything to do with potatoes.
😕
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### Author:  [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2012, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silver-palate-mashed-potatoes/641585/12 "2012-11-20T19:09:33Z")
I make mashed potatoes with butter and cream cheese, then I add a full bulb of roasted garlic.
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### Author:  [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2012, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silver-palate-mashed-potatoes/641585/13 "2012-11-20T19:09:44Z")
The Silver Palate was a NY shop/restaurant, and the owners went on the become accomplished cookbook authors. They also marketed some food products, which is why you’ve seen their oatmeal.
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### Author:  [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2012, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silver-palate-mashed-potatoes/641585/14 "2012-11-20T20:22:13Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#):
>
> The Silver Palate was a NY shop/restaurant, and the owners went on the become accomplished cookbook authors. They also marketed some food products, which is why you’ve seen their oatmeal.
'zactly.
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### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2012, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silver-palate-mashed-potatoes/641585/15 "2012-11-20T22:38:25Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#):
>
> Well, that’s gilding the lily a bit, but I hope you’ll give 'em a try.
Copied the recipe to my cookbook, and will give them a shot.
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### Author:  [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)
#### Post date: [November 23, 2012, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silver-palate-mashed-potatoes/641585/16 "2012-11-23T04:25:51Z")
Had 'em today and they were great. Hope you liked 'em too!
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### Author:  [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)
#### Post date: [November 23, 2012, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silver-palate-mashed-potatoes/641585/17 "2012-11-23T17:10:32Z")
Great, now I have to try these. I’m something of a mashed potato fanatic. I’ll let you know when I do 🙂
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### Author:  [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)
#### Post date: [November 23, 2012, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silver-palate-mashed-potatoes/641585/18 "2012-11-23T17:29:23Z")
Shouldn’t it be called potato “paste?”
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### Author:  [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)
#### Post date: [November 26, 2012, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silver-palate-mashed-potatoes/641585/19 "2012-11-26T16:22:24Z")
Add some finely minced onion, too - num!
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### Author:  [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2012, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silver-palate-mashed-potatoes/641585/20 "2012-12-05T17:15:16Z")
Sorry, folks, I have yet to have a chance to make these. I will do so ASAP and report back! 🙂
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