Apple Cinnamon Mashed Potatoes

The Lowdown:

Mike Bannon, 2012

Potatoes, as everyone knows, are the blue jeans of cooking. They can be as boring or out-there as you want. You can fry them, deep fry them, saute them, mash them, smash them, thrash them, mush them, stuff them, bake them, flake them. You can turn them into pies, fries, or chips, or dips. You can salt them, butter them, or coat them in any concoction. They can be served for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or any snack in between. Yes, they truly are easier than a drunk prom date.

Potatoes, to me, have grown old and boring. They are sort of stuck in the pub fare fries section of the culinary sphere. Perhaps even in the I'm to lazy to make dinner so I'll make peas and mashed potatoes with ground beef section. By now, I feel like I've explored every avenue of patatoville. However, that theory was blown to smithereens when I went on vacation. Very rarely do I get surprised by a meals deliciousness when I go out for dinner. I always feel like the three bears story. It's too cold, it's too salty, it's just too unsatisfactory. Period. I'm not picky, so to say, I just have high expectations when I'm spending money on a meal that I could cook much better. I'm pretty sure we've all been there.

On the flip side, there are those rare occasions where you find a diamond in the rough. A great meal that seems to be a gift from the gods, tailored just for you. For me, this was the apple cinnamon mashed potatoes. Well, to be honest, I have no clue if they actually were apple cinnamon mashed potatoes. The menu was in Spanish, which I don't speak, and they looked like regular mashed something-or-anothers. The point being, if they were potatoes, they opened up my mind to the possibilities of potatoes once again. Good bye pub fare, hello renewed love for potatoes! Also, make enough for left-overs, because these make excellent "hash browns" for breakfast the next day.

The Playlist:

3 Potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 Apple, peeled and finely cubed

1 Cinnamon stick, whole

1 Cinnamon stick, crushed (using a mortar & pestle)

1 tbsp Apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp Canola/Vegetable oil

1 tsp Brown sugar (or honey)

1/2 tsp Vanilla

2 tbsp Ranch (or sour cream)

2 tbsp Butter

Salt & Pepper, to taste

The Skinny:

1. Boil potatoes and cinnamon stick in enough water to fully cover the potatoes. Cook until they are soft to the touch.
2. While potatoes are boiling, saute apple cubes in the vinegar, brown sugar, crushed cinnamon stick, and oil. Cook until each side is browned then turn off the heat and cover.
3. When potatoes are done, remove the cinnamon stick and add the ranch, butter, salt, and pepper. Mash until desired consistency, then add the apple cubes (which should be soft, but not mushy by now). Mix everything together.
4. Serve warm and enjoy.

Featured on: Premediated Leftovers, 33 Shades of Green, Chef in Training, Food Renegade


Stay Rad - h