Make-ahead mashed potatoes

Every year for our church young women, we put on a fundraiser dinner to earn money for the annual summer camp. It is a super fun night, and the girls have a blast playing waitress that evening. We set up the gym like a restaurant, Aubrey plays the harp, and the girls serve the food. We serve the same menu every time. Lame? Well, it's easy, and also delicious and we have it down to a science. Salad, rolls, roast beef, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, and a raspberry brownie sundae for dessert.

My heart rate jumps when it is time to make the gravy for this event. It has always turned out, but gravy can sometimes just do crazy things. I just use the pan leftovers from the chuck roast, add a bit of water to get the desired volume, beef base for more flavor, corn starch and my immersion blender. I blend it until smooth and then bring it to a boil.

Some things make this meal super easy. First, Montreal Steak Seasoning and chuck roast. Second, is Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes. Last, is Betty Crocker brownie mixes. But this post is about the potatoes.

The traditional mashed potato is good at first, but then as it sits gets clumpy and not very tasty. When you are feeding 50-60 people at one moment, it is tricky to cook mashed potatoes to be timed to be finished at a precise moment. This recipe is amazing, because you can make them any time during the day you are serving them, and then put them in the crock pot to stay warm until you are ready to serve them. Plus, they are the best tasting potatoes I have ever had. Maybe because there is more "other stuff" than potatoes? They are a hit.

17 potatoes
garlic (7 tsp)
1 stick butter
1/2 cup milk (slowly add more if you need to--too much turns them into soup)
3 tsp salt
1 tsp ground pepper
1 c parmesan cheese
2 8-ounce pkgs cream cheese

Peel potatoes, but leave some skin on. Slice potatoes into quarters (or eighths if they're large). Boil potatoes and garlic for 30 minutes, or until tender. Drain, but don't lose the garlic--keep it with the potatoes.

Soften butter and cream cheese in the microwave. Mash and blend potatoes, butter, cream cheese, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.

Have your crock pot pre-heated to high. When you have finished making your mashed potatoes, put them in the crock pot, cover and turn crock put down to low. You will need to stir the mashed potatoes every 30 minutes in the crock pot even though it is on low, or they will scorch.