FREE potatoes (and a favorite recipe for them)

Reminder: there are still five more days to get your free potatoes. You can print out the coupon from my original post here.

I stock up on potatoes when I find a good price. After all, if you store them in a cool, dry place, they will keep for months.

Not sure what to do with them?? Last night I made these mashed potatoes, and I think they were the best mashed potatoes I've ever made (this recipe serves 10, but you could easily cut it in half):

5 lbs. russet or baking potatoes, peeled and quartered

6 cups water

3 cubes Knorr extra large vegetable or chicken bullion cubes

3 bay leaves

1 stick (+) butter, cut into pieces

milk (or reserved cooking water)

salt, to taste

Combine peeled and quartered potatoes, water, bullion and bay leaves in a slow cooker. Set on high for one hour, then reduce heat to low and continue cooking until potatoes are fork tender, about 4 hours total. Remove potatoes from cooking water (discard bay leaves) and place in a bowl with butter and about 1/4 cup milk (or reserve cooking liquid). Mash either by hand or with a mixer until desired consistency, adding more milk for looser potatoes. Add salt to taste.

* Note: if you can't find the Knorr bullion, substitute any brand of bullion, following package directions to make 6 cups of broth. Or eliminate the bullion and water and substitute broth, either store bought or home made.

** Note: The broth adds a layer of flavor to otherwise simple potatoes. Want to add another layer of flavor? Add six to 10 garlic cloves, peeled and cut in half (you can either remove the garlic before mashing, or go ahead and mash with potatoes). Or I want to try adding a quartered onion to the cooking water (remove before mashing).