Reduced-Fat Mashed Potatoes
(from 226-2tone’s recipe box)
Serves 4
We prefer Hellmann’s low-fat mayonnaise. Use the flat edge of a chef’s knife to smash the peeled garlic cloves. A ricer or a food mill makes for an exceptionally creamy mash, but if you don’t own either one, use a potato masher.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
When developing our recipe for Reduced-Fat Mashed Potatoes, we discovered that potato types varied only slightly in nutritional value, but Yukon Golds outshone other potato varieties for their buttery flavor and silky, light texture. Replacing some of the dairy with reserved potato cooking water cut calories. Furthermore, the starch from the water contributed a smooth, supple consistency to the mashed potatoes. We were surprised to find that a single tablespoon of butter was all that was necessary to impart a noticeable buttery taste. A little low-fat mayonnaise compensated for the loss of creaminess.
Traditional recipes have 352 calories, 25 grams of fat, and 16 grams of saturated fat per 1-cup serving. Our changes brought the numbers down to 174 calories, 3 grams of fat, and 1 gram of saturated fat.
Source: Cook's Country February/March 2011 (CC and CI collection) (from RecipeThing user Bethany)
Categories: Potato
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1/2 cup fat-free half-and-half
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt and pepper
- 3 tablespoons low-fat mayonnaise
Directions
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Bring potatoes and enough water to cover by 1 inch to boil in large pot over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until potatoes are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
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Meanwhile, bring half-and-half, butter, garlic, bay leaf, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to boil in small saucepan over high heat. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 15 minutes. Discard garlic and bay leaf.
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Reserve 1/2 cup potato cooking water. Drain potatoes thoroughly. Set ricer or food mill over now-empty pot and press or mill potatoes into pot. Stir in warm half-and-half mixture, mayonnaise, and 1/4 cup reserved potato water, adding additional potato water as needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.