Serves 6 to 8

Avoid extra-sharp cheddar, which becomes grainy during slow cooking. And don’t soak potatoes in water before using or the scalloped potatoes will be watery.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
Potatoes contain moisture that diluted the sauce after hours in the slow cooker. We thickened our Slow-Cooker Scalloped Potatoes with a generous amount of cornstarch to ensure that the sauce could handle the added moisture given off by the potatoes. The prolonged heat of the slow cooker overheated most cheeses, causing them to clump up and ooze grease. We found that Monterey Jack—which melted easily without separating—paired with sharp cheddar produced a flavorful, lump-free sauce. Russet potatoes proved to be the variety of choice due to their high starch content. The starch helped the cheese sauce adhere to the potatoes, and tasters liked the fluffy texture of the russets. The potatoes wouldn’t cook evenly in the slow cooker, so we started them in the microwave before transferring them to the slow cooker. When direct contact between the potatoes and the slow cooker caused them to burn, we created a barrier with parchment paper to protect them.

Very Good
Leek and Potato Cake

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.

Serves 8

For the smoothest, most uniform texture, use a food mill or ricer to mash the potatoes.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
Boiling our Duchess Potatoes made them waterlogged. Next we tried baking them, but they quickly dried out. We solved this problem by parcooking the potatoes in the microwave and finishing them in the oven on high heat. Piling butter into the hot potato mixture made it too soft to pipe into delicate mounds. We added some while it was still hot, but waited to add the rest until the potatoes had cooled a bit. The result was rich, buttery flavor throughout with small butter pockets scattered in the mounds.

Serves 4

This recipe works best with either a metal colander that sits easily in a Dutch oven or a large pasta pot with a steamer insert. To prevent excess evaporation, it is important for the lid to fit as snugly as possible over the colander or steamer. A steamer basket will work, but you will have to transfer the hot potatoes out of the basket to rinse them off halfway through cooking. For the lightest, fluffiest texture, use a ricer. A food mill is the next best alternative. Russets and white potatoes will work in this recipe, but avoid red-skinned potatoes.

MAKES APPROXIMATELY 14 3-INCH PANCAKES

Matzo meal is a traditional binder, though we found that the pancake’s texture does not suffer without it. Applesauce and sour cream are classic accompaniments for potato latkes.