Quick Chicken Kiev and Mashed Potatoes

If you're on a diet, stop reading this post immediately. If you're okay with cheating every once in awhile, read on.

I love recipes like this on a cold evening. Who doesn't warm up to creamy potatoes and crispy fried chicken? I was pretty proud of my first attempt at stuffing a chicken breast because I honestly thought it might be a disaster! Luckily for me, this recipe is relatively foolproof. Also, since I'm not a huge fan of dill, I used cilantro instead, since I had some leftover from a previous recipe.

Mashed Potatoes
Thanksgiving is kind of about the turkey for me, but it's mostly about the potatoes. My mom's side of the family does it right.

Peel enough Yukon gold potatoes for the number of people you'll be serving. A good rule of thumb is that I try to allot about 1-3 potatoes per person depending on the size, and I'll add an extra serving's worth or two or potatoes for leftovers. Never skimp on the mashed potatoes! You do about the same amount of work for small portions and larger portions, minus the peeling.

While you're peeling the potatoes, heat a medium to large sized pot of water (filled about halfway) over high heat. Quartering the potatoes will reduce the overall cooking time, so I typically with leave the potatoes whole if the other things I'm cooking will take a bit longer than 30 minutes or so to cook. Place the potatoes in the water and bring to a boil (add more water if needed, the potatoes should be barely covered). Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes if cut up, 30 minutes if whole. Don't leave them in the hot water for too long after that, or they will start to get grainy. You'll know that they're ready when they are easily poked with a fork. Drain the water and place the cooked potatoes in a large mixing bowl. Add a tablespoon of butter for every 4 servings, and a splash of milk (go easy on this step, you can always add more later.) Season generously with salt. With a hand mixer, mash and whip the potatoes in the bowl, adding small amounts of milk as you go, until you reach the desired consistency. I usually end up adding about 1/4 c of milk when I make 4 servings. Taste the potatoes and add more salt, butter or milk and whip one last time with the hand mixer. Serve immediately. *Tip - if you ever end up in a situation where your mashed potatoes are done too soon before the rest of your meal is ready, you can put them in a slow cooker on low heat to keep them from losing their creamy texture.