Mashed Potatoes: Buttery, Turmeric, Cheezy or Smoky Paprika

Mashed Potatoes: Buttery, Turmeric, Cheezy or Smoky Paprika
vegan, makes 6-7 cups of mashed potatoes (dinner party quantity!)

2.5lbs of russet potatoes (I used mini russets, with a slightly thinner skin than large russet potatoes)
1 1/3 cups non-dairy milk, plain/original flavor
salt and pepper to taste - start with 1/4 tsp salt + 1/8 tsp pepper
*for a gourmet flavor boost try truffle salt! Delicious in mashed potatoes
2-3 Tbsp vegan buttery spread (or substitute with your favorite healthy oil, walnut, coconut or EVOO)
5 cloves of garlic

Variations:
Buttery Chive: Top with chopped chives and extra vegan butter
Cheezy-Hemp: Fold in 1/2 cup nutritional yeast, an added 1/3 cup non-dairy milk or creamer and raw hemp seeds to taste
Turmeric: Fold in turmeric spice to taste (I add about 1/2 tsp per 1 1/2 cups)
Smoky Paprika: Fold in Spanish-style Smoky Paprika spice to taste (I add about 1/2 tsp per 2 cups)

Ultra Creamy: Substitute half of the non-dairy milk with unsweetened soy creamer.
Super Savory: Substitute half of the non-dairy milk with veggie broth. Monitor the added salt closely since most broth contains sodium.

Directions:

1. Scrub your potatoes very well. Chop them into rough cubes. The larger the potato the longer it will take to soften in the boiling water.
2. Toss all chopped potatoes, a few pinches of salt and the raw garlic cloves in a large soup pot and fill with water until about one inch of water covering the potatoes. Bring to a boil and boil until the potatoes are tender enough to slice with a fork.
3. Drain water and transfer potatoes to a large mixing bowl.
4. Add in one cup of the non-dairy milk, softened vegan butter and a starting amount of salt and pepper (a few pinches of each.)
5. Using a hand mixer (on off) mash the potatoes as much as possible. Then start blending on the lowest setting. If you have a fancy potato mashing tool for your mixer you can use that too. But an ordinary beater will work. Continue blending the potatoes and slowly add in the remaining non-dairy milk.
6. Blend until the clumps are gone or mostly softened and the potatoes are generally silky smooth. (If you want ultra-silky, thin potatoes, add in more non-dairy milk and blend in a Vitamix!)
7. When potatoes are at a lovely texture, do a taste test and modify the salt/pepper.
8. Fold in the spices or flavoring ingredients listed above for mashed potato variations.

Serve warm, freshly blended or reheat in a 350 degree oven for about fifteen minutes. If your potatoes are in the fridge a bit too long before serving, you can re-blend with an added splash of non-dairy milk before reheating and serving.