Mashed Potatoes with Mushroom Sauce

Ingredients

Mashed Potatoes:
• 8 medium-size red potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh chives
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
Mushroom Sauce:
• 2 teaspoons butter
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 container of sliced cremini (baby bella) mushrooms
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce (or coconut aminos to make gluten free)
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Begin by peeling and chopping your potatoes. You want the pieces to be roughly the same size so that they cook evenly.
2. Add the potatoes, half and half, salt and pepper to a large pot or a Dutch oven. Heat over low (and I seriously mean low) for 35 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender. You do not want the liquid to boil!
3. Remove the potatoes from the pot and put through a ricer. If you do not have a ricer, you can just mash the potatoes with a fork. Add a teaspoon or two of the half and half and the butter and mix to combine.Top with parsley and chives.
4. To prepare the mushroom sauce, add the butter to a saute pan. Add the garlic, and cook for 30 seconds. Add the mushrooms and thyme and season with salt and pepper, cook for 3 minutes or until they begin to shrink up a bit.
5. Stir in vinegar, water, and soy sauce and cook for 1 minute (a lot will evaporate). If you want more of a sauce, add more vinegar, water and soy sauce in the same ratios. Spoon the mushroom mixture over the mashed potatoes and serve.