Jamie’s Smashed Potatoes

Scrub the potatoes clean under cold running water, but do not peel them. Put the potatoes in a large saucepan and add water to cover they by at least one inch. Add 2 tsp salt. Set the pan over high heat and bring water to boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer the potatoes until they are tender 20 to 25 minutes. Poke a potato with the point of a small, sharp knife. The knife should gilde easily through the potato.

Set the colander in the sink. Have the pot holders ready. When the potatoes are cooked, ask an adult to pour the contents of the saucepan into the colander. Shake the colander 2 or 3 times to get rid of any excess water. Put the drained potatoes back into the saucepan.

With a potato masher, press down on each potato until smashed. Add the butter, half-and-half or milk, 1/4 tsp salt and the pepper. Continue to mash and stir the potatoes until they are almost smooth. Only small chunks should remain. Tast the potatoes and add more salt and pepper, if desired. Use a large spoon to scoop the potatoes into a serving bowl and serve immediately.