To Note:

In my humble opinion, potatoes have gotten a bum rap in the last few years. Skin-on spuds are chock full of nutrients and can be dressed up hundreds of different ways. The rub is that a lot of potato recipes rely on lots of added fat to bring the flavor. This is a glorious thing on special occasions, but sometimes you want a scoop of mashers on a mundane Tuesday night when indulging is not an option. That’s where good swap outs come into play. For me, fat-free Greek yogurt is a go-to ingredient to give great flavor without piling on fat and calories, it also adds a boost of protein to help keep you going. A few tablespoons of butter and a reasonable amount of salt give the flavor a pop and the familiar taste we love. I’m a fan of skin-on, they’re good for nutrition and for texture, but feel free to peel if you have the inclination and the time.

To Get:

3-4 medium starchy potatoes, such as baking or Yukon golds, cubed (should be about 6-7 cups)

6 ounces fat-free Greek yogurt

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 cup reserved cooking liquid

To Do:

1. Fill a 4-quart or larger pan with cold water about 2/3 of the way full.
2. Wash potatoes and cut each one into 16 chunks. I cut them into quarters lengthwise (like spears), then each quarter into four chunks. The end game is that each piece is close in size, so that they cook evenly. Also, the smaller the pieces, the quicker they will cook.
3. Add the potatoes to the water-filled pan as you cut them. Potatoes will brown if left in contact with the air too long.
4. Place pan on the cooktop over medium-high to high heat and bring to a light boil.
5. Continue to gently boil at least 10 minutes or so, until you can pierce the potato with a fork and fork easily slides out.
6. Before draining the potatoes, save 1 cup of the cooking water in a measuring cup, set that aside.
7. Drain potatoes and place back in hot pan. Return the pan to the stove and turn the heat back on to medium-low.
8. Smash up the potatoes chunks using whatever method you have available or prefer, such as a handheld masher, a ricer or a handheld mixer.
9. Once they are mostly mashed, add in the yogurt, butter, half cup of the cooking water, salt and pepper and mix to your desired level of smoothness or lumpiness.
10. Add more water, a tablespoon at a time, if the potatoes are too thick. Taste them for seasoning and add more salt too if you prefer.
11. Serve and Nosh!

Serves 4-6