Sunday evening is typically the one night per week I reserve for a long-cooking homestyle dinner. Especially in the winter, I find it comforting to spend the late afternoon hours preparing a main dish that perfumes the apartment with intoxicating aromas while simmering on the stove or braising in the oven.
Today was such a Sunday. While the Wine-Braised Beef slowly cooked in the oven, I whipped up the perfect starchy accompaniment to soak up all of the succulent beefy juices: Blue Cheese Smashed Potatoes. Although they sound decadent, these smashed potatoes are actually quite healthy. I wanted to pair the rich meat with lighter side dishes, and the roasted asparagus and blue cheese smashed potatoes were a great fit.
Yukon golds were the potatoes I had on hand, but red potatoes would be an excellent stand-in. Skim milk and 2% Greek yogurt are healthier options than the traditional whole milk and sour cream, and blue cheese punches up the flavor factor. Blue cheese pairs particularly well with red meat, but these smashed potatoes would compliment chicken and pork as well.
If you’re looking for a way to liven up mundane smashed potatoes, toss in some blue cheese and you’ll be good to go!
Blue Cheese Smashed Potatoes
serves 4
- 1 pound yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed and cut into quarters (about 2-inch pieces)
- 1/4 cup skim milk
- 1/2 Tbsp margarine or butter
- 2 Tbsp 2% plain Greek yogurt
- 3 Tbsp crumbled blue cheese, or more to taste
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions:
- Cover potatoes with cold water in a medium stock pot. Bring water to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, and cook the potatoes for 10-15 minutes, until easily pierced with a knife.
- Drain water from the pot, and add to the potatoes the milk, margarine, Greek yogurt, and blue cheese. Smash with a potato masher until desired texture is achieved. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Thanks for reading!
