Amazingly, shopping the other day my local grocery store had standing rib roasts on sale in the meat market for 4.99 a pound, marked down from 11.99 a pound.  To say that I was excited would be an understatement.

Rib roasts are a little tricky to figure but as a rule of thumb there are two servings per rib.  Smaller roasts are more difficult to get right than larger ones so consider getting a larger one and using it for several meals.

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Mashed potatoes are one of the major four comfort foods; chocolate, ice cream, mac and cheese, and mashed potatoes.  They are great plain, with plenty of butter and maybe some gravy, but when you want serious comfort food give these a try.  Smoky bacon, garlic, onion, and cheddar combine with the potatoes to create something amazing.

I served them with ham, but they make a great topper for shepherds pie, or anything where you want flavorful mashed potatoes.  Not sure that you would want to dump gravy on these…

1/2 lb bacon

1 onion, peeled and chopped

1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped

3 lbs potatoes- peel russets, if using the red potatoes leave the skin on and just scrub well

1 cup sour cream

1/3 cup half and half- simmering hot

1 stick unsalted butter

2 cups grated sharp cheddar, divided

Salt and pepper tp taste

Boil potatoes in water to cover until tender.  Drain.

Fry bacon until crisp.  Drain on paper towels.  Crumble. Pour off all but about 1 tablespoon of the bacon grease.

Saute onion and garlic in bacon grease until tender, and onion is transparent.  Add potatoes to pan and warm through, stirring to coat with the pan juices.Pour the potatoes into a bowl.  Add sour cream,  half and half cream, butter, and 1 cup of the cheese.  Mash with a potato masher until fluffy.  Stir in bacon crumbles.

Spread in a 13×9 inch pan and top with remaining cheese.  Bake at 350F about 20-25 minutes, or until cheese is bubbling.  Serve hot.

Serves 6-8

image:Marye Audet