Christmas Food: Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes

I’ve been deeply disappointed by mashed potatoes with cream cheese before. I’m not interested in the cream cheese making them fluffier or richer – butter can do that. If I’m going to add something fatty to my potatoes, I want to taste it. This recipe makes the cream cheese the star. Enjoy.

Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes

2 lbs unpeeled yukon gold potatoes, cut into cubes, boiled until soft
16 oz whipped cream cheese (2 x 8oz containers)
1/2 stick unsalted butter
salt
chives

Mash potatoes and butter together in a bowl (use a fork, a hand blender, a masher, whichever) until roughly combined. Add 8oz cream cheese and mash until they have a rustic texture- lumpy but still creamy. Taste, add more cream cheese if necessary. Salt to taste, top with dollops of leftover cream cheese and chives.