Monday, February 7, 2011

Spinach Mashed Potatoes

I don't know about you, but I am always looking for ways to eat more vegetables.  Despite my passion for wholesome cooking, my friends are often shocked to find out that integrating veggies into my family's diet does not come naturally at all!  So I'm sure the munchkin's aversion to most veggies is directly related to lack of exposure, but one thing I have been lucky with is that she happens to like spinach.  Go figure, right?  Fortunately, frozen chopped spinach is a great thing to keep in the freezer - if you buy it in a bag (instead of a box), you can use a little bit at a time, which works great for us - we often mix some frozen chopped spinach into eggs (either scrambled or omlets). I have also used frozen spinach to make pesto and these cute little dumplings

Recently I had the thought that spinach might make a nice addition to mashed potatoes, too.  I started experimenting, and after 2 tries I think I found a formula that works pretty well.  This is not the most gourmet recipe, and you can certainly adjust to your taste, but I think it's a great way to take an easy every day side dish and make it that much more nutritious!

Apologies for no picture...I promise to update next time I make this!

Spinach Mashed Potatoes

2 pounds yukon gold potatoes
2 cups frozen chopped spinach (measured while still frozen)
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup milk

Cut unpeeled potatoes into approximately 1 inch chunks.  Place in a pot and cover with cold water by about 1 inch.  Place on the stove top, bring to a boil (watching for overflow!), and cook until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork. 

In the mean time, defrost the spinach and drain well (I do this by squeezing in a clean kitchen towel).  You want as little moisture left in the spinach as possible; otherwise the mashed potatoes might have a weird consistency. 

Drain cooked potatoes and place back in hot pot over very low heat.  Add spinach, salt, and butter and start to mash to combine.  Add milk a little at a time, starting with about half, mashing with each addition until you have the consistency that you like.  Try not to overmash; a little lumpiness is ok and too much mashing can make the potatoes gummy.

Serves 4

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