When Jeff Mauro made his mom’s mashed potatoes on The Kitchen, I started using her recipe every year. This recipe is an homage to my roots, my grandpa’s recipe for pimiento cheese, and a nod to Mama Mauro. I gave the buttery mashed potatoes a Southern twist by substituting pimiento cheese for her cream cheese, for the ultimate side dish.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr 50 min |
| Active: | 40 min |
| Yield: | 8 to 10 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing the dish
- 5 pounds Idaho russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- Kosher salt
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- Pimiento Cheese, recipe follows, at room temperature
- 1 cup half-and-half, warmed
- 1/2 tablespoon cracked black pepper, or more to taste
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
- 8 ounces yellow Cheddar, grated (about 2 cups)
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons jarred pimientos, drained
- 1 teaspoon sweet pickle relish
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Hot sauce, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-by-14-inch glass baking dish with butter and set aside.
- Add the potatoes and 1 tablespoon salt to a large saucepan or pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then simmer over medium-high heat until the potatoes are fork-tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain the potatoes well and return to the pot. Set aside.
- Put the room-temperature butter, garlic and 1 cup Pimiento Cheese in a medium bowl. Whip together with a handheld mixer on medium speed until thoroughly blended, about 2 minutes. Add the mixture to the pot of potatoes, alternating with the half-and-half. Whip until blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Spread the potato mixture into the prepared dish. Dot the remaining 1/2 cup Pimiento Cheese on top of the potatoes and spread. Pour the melted butter over the top and bake until bubbly and slightly golden, about 45 minutes.
- The potatoes can be kept warm in a 200 degree F oven or tented with foil until ready to serve, up to 2 hours. Garnish with the chives and parsley before serving.
- To the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, add the cheese, mayonnaise, pimientos, relish, onion powder, a pinch of salt and pepper and a few dashes of hot sauce, if using. Blend until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a bowl and set aside or cover and hold in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 10 servings |
| Calories | 403 |
| Total Fat | 21 g |
| Saturated Fat | 10 g |
| Carbohydrates | 44 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 3 g |
| Protein | 12 g |
| Cholesterol | 49 mg |
| Sodium | 681 mg |
Reviews
The recipe calls for a 9-by-14-inch glass baking dish. I just watched the episode and heard Katie say that it was a 9×13 pan. I noted that she used a white pan (ceramic?), not a clear glass pan. The 9×13 shown on the program was a deep one and the contents filled it nearly to the top. We guess that the contents measured about 5 US Quarts.
We plan on halving the recipe and so will use a baking dish of about 2.5 Qt, 8×8”.
I watched the recipe being made on The Kitchen show two days before Thanksgiving, and knew I had to make it. It was a hit! All my guest loved it! The best was being able to make it a day before Thanksgiving and not the day of, which took a load of stress off my shoulders!
I did my test run of this for Thanksgiving … crazy delicious!