I have been lucky enough to fall in love 6 times in my life.  

 

The first time I fell in love was with my husband, the next four times came with the birth of each of my bambini.  

 

My sixth love?

 

The Potato!  Fry it, bake it, boil it, mash it - ANY way you can think of - I LOVE them.  And so, I pay homage to the grand and glorious potato with my family recipe for Mascarpone Mashed Potatoes.

 

As a rule, whichever of my kids helps me cook is promised the first taste. Here, Gabriella got a sample of the potatoes - before they even hit the oven.

MASCARPONE MASHED POTATOES

(“Italian family-sized” recipe)

Ingredients
· 5lb potatoes
· 8 oz. mascarpone cheese
· 8 oz milk
· 1/2 - 1 stick butter, melted
· 12 oz asiago cheese, shredded
· Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions
· Peel, cube, and boil potatoes until tender.
· Whip mascarpone cheese, milk, and butter together.
· In a separate bowl, begin to mash the potatoes with an electric mixer, slowly adding the cheese mixture until desired consistency. (mixture will thicken in baking)
· Butter a casserole dish and fill with the mashed potatoes.
· Sprinkle asiago cheese to coat.
· Bake at 400 degrees until bubbly and golden.

This recipe was also published in November's issue of La Voce Newspaper, under my column, "Mamma Mia!"

See more recipes at www.UnaMammaItaliana.blogspot.com