Roasted Red Pepper Mashed Potatoes

Whipped mashed potatoes are my new favorite side dish. Last night I was knee-deep in my usual bowl of mashed potatoes when I decided that I wanted to spice it up a bit. I have had wasabi-mashed potatoes, but I did not have any of the spicy green mash at home. Garlic mashed potatoes was an option. Or what about Red Pepper mashed potatoes? I had never tried it before, but I had a red pepper in the fridge that I roasted the day before. I blended it in my magic bullet express, and added it to the already whipped bowl of mashed potatoes. One more dash of salt, and it was excellent.

Roasted Red Pepper Mashed Potatoes

2 russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 T. sour cream
2 T. butter or margarine
1 clove garlic, peeled
1/2 c. chicken broth
salt and pepper
1/2 roasted red pepper (recipe below)

Bring large pot of water to boil. Add potatoes and garlic. Return to boil, reduce heat to medium. Boil until fork tender. Drain. Add remaining ingredients, whip with electric beater until creamy.

Roasted Red Pepper

Place red pepper over open flame on stove top, grill or in broiler. Monitor closely. Let flame char the skins of the pepper. Turn frequently until entire pepper is black. Place directly in zip lock bag or sealed container. Let steam for 15 minutes. Remove from bag, rinse under cold water to remove black skin. Remove stem and center seeds. To store, add olive oil and seal. Serve with bread and goat cheese or mashed potatoes.