I know that’s totally not a thing. But really, I’m usually more thankful for Saturday than I am for Friday. Although last night I did get to drink my favorite hard cider from See Canyon Hard Cider Co. Having a beer / hard cider is seriously the thing I look forward to most on Friday nights. Is that bad?

At least I don’t drink during the week 😉

So, I’m pretty sure I can say with confidence that everyone looks forward to mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving. I mean, it’s a thing. If you have Thanksgiving, you have mashed potatoes. And if you have mashed potatoes, you have…. nevermind.

The Mashers are everyone’s favorite side, whether they admit it or not. It’s one of those dishes that you give yourself an extra large heaping scoop, then look at your plate a little forlornly because it doesn’t look like quite enough, so you dive in for another. It’s that dish.

Standard mashed potatoes have lots of tasty flavor components, like butter and cream.

But if you’re the kind of person who avoids those ingredients for whatever reason, making really creamy mashed potatoes can be… challenging. I’m not vegan myself, but choose not to eat dairy most of the time. The exception I make is cheese, because…… cheese. But I use vegan butter and non-dairy milks nearly 100% of the time.

So, I’ve tried many variations of vegan mashed potatoes. Some were okay (I mean, really, it’s mashed potatoes – they can’t be that bad). Some were pretty good.

But none have been as creamy as these.

I did something pretty crazy here to achieve that super creamy, melt-in-your-mouth taste that traditional mashed potatoes have. I’ve tried all sorts of non-dairy milks and was never super impressed with the result. But this time, I did it. Two words:

Cashew. Cream.

That stuff has been my jam lately. Not really like jam jam, but you get it. I am using it all over the place and LOVING it. It’s so good.

And for those of you who say “I don’t have a Vitamix/Blendtec so I can’t make it, poohey” – let me tell you one thing. My blender cost $40. It’s an Oster and I don’t think you can even get it any more. And it works amazingly well for cashew cream.

It’s all about technique, I’m tellin ya.

So these potatoes! Aside from the cashew cream, they have some Earth Balance butter (or whatever kind of butter you want), salt (of course), roasted garlic, and crispy shallots. Roasted garlic and crispy shallots! Even if you have no intention of ever making vegan mashed potatoes, you must put roasted garlic and crispy shallots on your mashers next time. Promise me.

To make these super creamy, I used my KitchenAid mixer to whip them up. It is by far the easiest way to make them nice and fluffy. If all you have is a potato masher, that’ll work too. You’ll also have nice toned arms afterward. Get to it!

In my version, I left the skins on and stopped whipping them before every single little tiny lump was out. That’s because the skins are tasty and nutritious, and because I like my mashed potatoes to have a little texture to them. BUT, if you prefer your potatoes to be skinless, or if you want only creamy and no potato chunks, then be sure to peel your taters and whip them for a few extra minutes.

Ok, I’ve been staring at these pictures too long. I’m off to go eat the rest of these now. (PS. they make amazing leftovers)

Happy weekending!

Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup cashews
• 2.5 lb gold potatoes
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 Tbsp olive oil*
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 4 Tbsp Earth Balance butter
• 4 cloves garlic

Instructions

1. Boil the cup of water (I use the microwave), then combine with the cashews. Let sit 30 minutes.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Peel the potatoes if you’d like (I prefer not to), then chop into 1/2″ pieces. Boil for about 20 minutes, until easily pierced with a fork.
3. While the potatoes boil, place 4 unpeeled garlic cloves in a heavy, dry skillet. Turn heat to medium-high and cook, turning every every now and then, for about 15 minutes, until they have brown spots on all sides. Let cool, then remove the skins and trim the ends.
4. Also while the potatoes boil, peel the shallot and mince finely. Heat the olive oil in a small skillet and add the shallots. Cook, stirring constantly, until golden brown and crispy. Remove from the heat.
5. To make the cashew cream, add the cashews and their soaking water to a blender along with the roasted garlic cloves. Blend until smooth, 1-3 minutes depending on your blender. It’s best to let the blender stop and cool down every minute or so.
6. When the potatoes are done cooking, drain. Add to the bowl of your stand mixer and fit with the whisk attachment. Alternatively, add to a large wide bowl and use a potato masher. Add the cashew cream with roasted garlic, the butter, and the salt. Beat for about 5 minutes for slightly lumpy potatoes, and up to 10 minutes for smooth potatoes.
7. Serve topped with the crispy shallots, and enjoy!

Notes