One thing I love about eating at nice restaurants is their mashed potatoes. Nearly all nicer seafood and steak restaurants I’ve eaten at don’t mash their potatoes 100%, which allows you to taste the actual potatoes (and not just the cream ;). I think whipped creamy potatoes can be nice with turkey dinners or for other occasions, but smashed potatoes taste richer to me. Most mashed potato recipes I’ve used or made include lots of garlic—don’t get me wrong I love garlic, but I can’t stand the terrible breath and taste in my mouth all day after eating them. These smashed potatoes are made with parsley and cream so they are rich and delicious but without the after taste.
Here’s what you’ll need: potatoes (I love Yukon Gold but any kind is fine!), cream, parsley, salt, pepper, and some form of butter (I like to use Smart Balance).
First get a pot of water heating up on the stove, so it can warm while you cut the potatoes. Then clean the potatoes and chop them into approximately similar sized chunks. If you’re in a rush to make them you could always chop them super small so they cook more quickly. 
I like to put the diced chunks into the bowl I will serve them in. This helps me to see how much I need and also keeps me from using another dish.
Once the water is simmering, lower the chunks in with a slotted spoon (this keeps the water from splashing or burning you).
Once the potatoes are fork soft (about 8 minutes), strain them and place back in their bowl. Add 1 tbsp of butter for every 2 potatoes you used. Then eyeball the cream… if you like thinner potatoes add more, thicker add less, but enough to coat them while mashing.
Here’s how I keep them from being over-mashed—smash them with a fork. When I’m making potatoes for Thanksgiving and everyone wants them super whipped and creamy to eat with the gravy I’ll use an electric mixer, but for this I use a fork.
Smash away! Leave as many chunks as you’d like. Don’t worry they’ll still be soft. And it’s a great way to relieve aggression!
Next add salt and pepper to taste and mix together. Then add the parsley. I love the clean and fresh taste of parsley, and I also love that it isn’t overpowering. I add a generous amount to the potatoes, mix them in, and then add more as a garnish on top.
One of the best things about these potatoes is they are fresh, but you always have dried parsley on hand. Fresh parsley is even better if you have it! I don’t have a garden but when I buy it fresh I always try to make these potatoes because it’s so yummy fresh.
Here’s a little trick I use every time I make mashed potatoes. Make them first and then stick them in the microwave (turned off) just to store them and keep them warm while you’re making your other food. It’s tough to have everything ready and warm at the same time while keeping your kitchen clean, so this helps me keep them out of the way. Then when it’s time to eat I just turn on the microwave for a minute and get them nice and hot before serving. The microwaving doesn’t affect the consistency which is nice.
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