Make Ahead Garlic Potato Soupcooks Illustrated Recipes

MAKE-AHEAD POTATOES

Steps:

• Place potatoes in a Dutch oven or large kettle; cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 20-25 minutes or until potatoes are tender. , Drain potatoes and place in a bowl; mash. Add sour cream, cream cheese, 4 tablespoons butter, onion and salt; stir until smooth and the cream cheese and butter are melted. Spread in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. , Melt the remaining butter; drizzle over the potatoes. Sprinkle with paprika. Refrigerate or bake immediately, covered, at 350° for 40 minutes; uncover and bake 20 minutes longer. If potatoes are made ahead and refrigerated, let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.

DO-AHEAD GARLIC MASHED POTATOES

Steps:

• In 3-quart saucepan, mix potatoes and garlic; add enough water (salted if desired) to cover. Cover and heat to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer covered 20 to 25 minutes or until tender; drain. Shake pan with potatoes over low heat to dry. Mash potatoes and garlic in pan with potato masher or electric mixer until no lumps remain.
• In 1-quart saucepan, heat milk, whipping cream, butter, salt and pepper over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until butter is melted; reserve and refrigerate 1/4 cup mixture. Add remaining milk mixture in small amounts to potatoes, mashing after each addition, until potatoes are light and fluffy. (Amount of milk needed to make potatoes smooth and fluffy depends on kind of potatoes used.)
• Grease 2-quart casserole. Spoon potatoes into casserole; cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours.
• Heat oven to 350°F. Pour reserved milk mixture over potatoes. Bake uncovered 40 to 45 minutes or until hot. Stir potatoes before serving.

MAKE-AHEAD GARLIC-POTATO SOUP(COOK'S ILLUSTRATED)

Steps:

• TO MAKE SOUP BASE: Melt butter in Dutch oven over medium heat. When foaming subsides, add leeks and cook until soft (do not brown), 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add garlic heads, 6 cups broth, bay leaves, and 3/4 teaspoon salt; partially cover pot and bring to simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until garlic is very tender when pierced with tip of knife, 30 to 40 minutes. Add potatoes, partially cover pot, and bring mixture to simmer over medium-high heat. Take pot off heat and let rest 10 minutes. Separate soup into 2 storage containers and freeze up to 1 month.
• TO REHEAT AND SERVE: Run hot water over surface of storage containers to help release frozen blocks of soup. Add soup and 1 cup broth to large Dutch oven set over medium-high heat. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until soup is hot and potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Discard bay leaves. Remove garlic heads; using tongs or paper towels, squeeze garlic heads at root end until cloves slip out of their skins. Using fork, mash garlic to smooth paste in bowl.
• 3. Stir cream, thyme, and half of mashed garlic into soup; heat soup until hot, about 2 minutes. Taste soup; add remaining garlic paste if desired. Using immersion blender, process soup until creamy, with some potato chunks remaining. Alternatively, transfer 1 1/2 cups potatoes and 1 cup broth to blender or food processor and process until smooth. (Process more potatoes for thicker consistency.) Return puree to pot and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper and serve, sprinkling each portion with chives and garlic chips.
• For Garlic Chips: Heat oil and garlic in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, turning frequently, until light golden brown, about 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer garlic to plate lined with paper towels; discard oil. Sprinkle lightly with salt.

MAKE AHEAD GARLIC MASHED POTATOES

Steps:

• Place potatoes and garlic in medium saucepan with enough (salted if desired) water to cover.
• Cover and heat to boiling, reduce heat and simmer until tender (about 20 minutes).
• Drain and shake potatoes to dry over low heat.
• Mash potatoes and garlic in pan until lump free (my personal preference is to use a potato ricer).
• Heat rest of ingredients stirring over low heat until butter melts.
• Reserve 1/4 C of mixture.
• Add rest of milk mix in small amounts stirring after each addition until light and fluffy (amount needed depends on type of potato used).
• Grease a 2 quart casserole and spoon in potatoes.
• Cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours.
• Heat oven to 350.
• Pour reserved milk mixture over potatoes and bake uncovered 40-45 minutes or until hot.
• Stir before serving.