FIX-AHEAD MASHED POTATO CASSEROLE

This recipe is as popular with my family as Lola Hahn's Chocolate Chocolate Cake.  (Okay, that might be a stretch.) However, it has "served" many for many years...and it's, always, delicious.  (My favorite combination is meat loaf and these potatoes. Savory, hot, comfort food!)  You'll find that this casserole travels well, too.  Take it prebaked or bake until hot when you arrive at your destination. 

Ingredients:

3 pounds potatoes (about 4 large)

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons butter

2,  3-ounce packages cream cheese, softened

2/3 cups commercial sour cream

1/4 cup milk

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1/2 teaspoon paprika

Clean the potatoes.  Place potatoes in a saucepan.  Add water to cover and 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Bring to boil; cover, reduce heat to medium, and simmer approximately 25 minutes or until potatoes are tender.  Drain.  Peel potatoes; place in a large mixing bowl, and mash with a potato masher. Add 2 tablespoons butter and the next  4 ingredients, mixing until all ingredients are blended.  Spoon the mixture into a lightly greased 12 X 8 X 2 inch baking dish.  Brush top of mixture with melted butter; sprinkle with paprika.  Bake immediately, or cover and refrigerate.  If refrigerated, let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before baking.  Bake at 350 degrees, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until hot and a little bubbly.  (Yield:  6-8 servings.)

Note:  The above "whole" potato cooking process is per the original recipe.  When I make this dish, I seldom cook the whole potato but choose, instead, to chop the potato into 1 to 1 1/2 inch chunks before boiling.  This reduces the cooking time.  Also, most often, I prefer pealing the potatoes for this recipe.  However, leave the peel on the potatoes, if you want more color and texture in the dish.