Mascarpone Mashed Potatoes

Now that election chaos is finally over, I can focus on something other than just the news, and that is....

THE COMING HOLIDAY SEASON!

November marks the true beginning of the holidays for me. Despite the fact that I begin listening to Christmas music in October, it doesn't feel quite real until November weather settles in and the stores fill with Christmas decor. Cold nights, comfy sweaters, and pumpkin pie always means that my two favorite holidays are around the corner:

Thanksgiving and Christmas!

This year we'll inevitably spend the season visiting with family, giving thanks, shopping for presents & making presents (we do a lot of homemade Christmas gifts in our family!) and, of course, a lot of eating. What could be better than that? But we all know such a busy time of year requires lots of planning, so I wanted to give everyone a head start with one of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes, Mascarpone Mashed Potatoes. These are a hit every year with my family, and they're so simple, even the kids love them. As a rule, whichever of my kids helps me cook is promised the first taste. Here, Gabriella got a sample before the potatoes went into the oven.

MASCARPONE MASHED POTATOES

(“Italian family-sized” recipe)

Ingredients
· 5lb potatoes
· 8 oz. mascarpone cheese
· 8 oz milk
· 1/2 - 1 stick butter, melted
· 12 oz asiago cheese, shredded
· Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions
· Peel, cube, and boil potatoes until tender.
· Whip mascarpone cheese, milk, and butter together.
· In a separate bowl, begin to mash the potatoes with an electric mixer, slowly adding the cheese mixture until desired consistency. (mixture will thicken in baking)
· Butter a casserole dish and fill with the mashed potatoes.
· Sprinkle asiago cheese to coat.
· Bake at 400 degrees until bubbly and golden.

This recipe was also published in November's issue of La Voce Newspaper, under my column, "Mamma Mia!"