serves four
This recipe was born out of sheer desperation one evening when I had to have mashed potatoes, only to discover my potato bin was disturbingly sparse. After a brief moment of panic, I remembered the handful of golden beets that had been languishing in my refrigerator for a couple weeks. I tossed them in the pot with the cubed potatoes and was ecstatic to discover how perfectly the earthy sweetness of the beets married with the starchy smooth potatoes. I always select golden or Albino beets for this mash, but if you have adventurous eaters at your house who won’t fret over pink potatoes, you can use red beets too.
3 medium golden or Albino beets, peeled and cubed
4 large red or Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 cloves garlic, slightly smashed
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter
⅓ cup sour cream
¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Fresh chives, for garnish
In a stockpot, place the beets, potatoes, and garlic and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium and cook until tender, about 30 minutes. Drain and place back into the hot pot. Stir for 1 to 2 minutes over low heat to evaporate any leftover water, then remove the pan from the heat. Mash with the butter, sour cream, salt, and pepper until smooth. Sprinkle with chives and serve.
kitchen notes • I generally opt not to use an immersion blender when making regular mashed potatoes, as it can cause them to take on a strange gummy texture. However, I’ve found using the immersion blender for this recipe results in a smoother texture for the beets. Another option is to use a hand or stand mixer to whip everything together.