Several nights a week I’m away from the house around dinner time. Since Ross is totally inflexible when it comes to his dinner time (6:00 pm sharp) he refuses to wait until I get home to cook dinner. Sometimes I leave him to his own devices.This results in one of two outcomes: 1.) a burrito or 2.) a breakfast burrito. When I’m feeling nice, I cook him something the night before that he just needs to quickly heat up. I should note that he doesn’t demand that I cook for him, but it is a part of our arrangement. He washes the dishes and I do the cooking. So, I feel kind of bad when I skip out on my side of the deal.

Anywho, these Chipotle Cheddar Mashed Potatoes were one of these cook ahead dinners. I was out late (late for me being 7:30 on a weeknight – I’m a wild woman) so I whipped it together the night before and kept it in the fridge in the pot. Easy peasy. When Ross got home he just warmed the taters through, and cooked up an egg and a chipotle sausage to go with.

Back to the taters, these are yummy. Admittedly, I’m partial to smoky, spicy, cheesy flavors (have you seen my Meatloaf with Smoked Cheddar, Bacon and Jalapeno?) so this concoction wasn’t exactly ground breaking. But that’s ok, this recipe is comforting and creamy, with a little warmth from the chipotle and some tang from the sharp cheddar. It would be perfect with grilled chicken with lime, chimichurri steak, or in Ross’s case, a sausage and egg. I wouldn’t call this dish diet food, but since it’s so packed with flavor you don’t need to eat a mountain of the stuff. Unless you want to, of course.

Chipotle Cheddar Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients
1 lb. of potatoes (I used red skin and didn’t peel them, I like the texture with all the flavors)
1 cup loosely packed shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
2-3 seeded chipotle peppers (use more or less depending on the size of the peppers and your tolerance to heat)
1/2 cup low fat milk (more if needed)
1 tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. adobo sauce (the liquid the chipotles are packed in)
1/2 tsp. kosher or sea salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. paprika (to add some red color)
more salt for boiling potatoes

1.) Chop the potatoes into one inch chunks. Place them in a large pot and cover with water. Bring the pot to a boil then add a heavy pinch of salt. Cook until fork tender, about 10-15 minutes.
2.) Meanwhile, seed your chipotles and chop into small pieces. Mash them up a bit to create a paste. Shred the cheddar.
3.) When the potatoes are done cooking, drain them and then mash. Add the milk and butter. Mash until smooth then add the cheese, adobo, chipotles and seasonings. Stir to combine, until the cheese has totally melted.