Mashed Potatoes

I really love mashed potatoes.   I think they are my favorite way of preparing and eating potatoes.  They don't get a lot of praise.  They end up being treated like the third wheel in a fancy dinner in my opinion.  I have made mashed potatoes in a variety of ways, this is just one way to do it.  You most likely have a secret family method of making your mashed potatoes.  You may go about your business and ignore my way.

 I love mashed potatoes!  They are my favorite comfort food.

 Start with some potatoes.   These are Eastern potatoes.  If you look in the back of the bunch, you
will see the pale looking potato?  That is a rock I found in my bag of potatoes.   Yes, you heard me.
 I rinsed my potatoes and found a rock in the bunch.  I weighed the rock and it was 10.2 ounces.
Now that you have heard my crazy story, lets talk mashed potatoes.  Rinse potatoes and peel them,
and rinse again.

 Cut potatoes into uniform size, about 2 1/2 inches.  Place potatoes in a rice cooker, on a rack if you
have one (I used the one from my pressure cooker).  Yes, that is correct, I said a rice cooker.  You
could boil them too if you want too.  Salt the potatoes and pour a little olive oil on them.  Add
1 1/2 inches of water.  Set the rice cooker to the steam function for 25 minutes.

 We now have perfectly cooked potatoes.

 Pour 1/2 cup milk and 1/4 cup butter to a mixing bowl.  Attach beater.

 Add the potatoes.

 Mix on low until it looks like mashed potatoes.  These mashed potatoes will have chunks, if you
want smooth mashed potatoes I suggest a potato ricer.  I had a really wonderful OXO brand potato
ricer that made the most wonderful, perfectly mashed potatoes, but I don't have a potato ricer now. 

Spoon the mashed potatoes back into the rice steamer pot, add another bit of butter and place in
 steamer set to the warm function and close.  The potatoes will stay warm until ready to eat.

Enjoy!