Ingredients:
3 pounds Idaho® Potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 tablespoon kosher salt (for the water)
2 cups of Monterey Jack Cheese
Cream Sauce Ingredients:
2 tablespoons Country Crock® Original
1 cup heavy cream
½ cup low sodium chicken stock
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 large garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Onion and Peppers Ingredients:
1 tablespoon of Country Crock® Original
5 poblano peppers, charred, skinned, stemmed and seeded, and then diced
½ medium white onion, peeled and diced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Place potatoes in large stockpot and add enough cold water to cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil over high heat, then continue to cook at a moderate boil until the potatoes are very tender, about 20-25 minutes. Drain potatoes in colander.
Return cooked potatoes to the same pot and stir over medium heat for about 1 minute, until excess water has evaporated.
In a saucepan on medium-low heat, heat up the cream, chicken stock with the thyme, garlic and nutmeg. Allow to barely simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes. It’s best to stir fairly constantly to prevent scorching. Remove and discard the thyme sprigs from the cream.
Pour in the warm cream into the stockpot with cooked potatoes. With a potato masher, begin to mash the potatoes until they are a creamy consistency. Set aside.
In a small skillet, melt one tablespoon of Country Crock® and sauté the onions and poblano peppers until the onions have softened and are translucent, about 3 minutes.
Fold in the onion and ¾ of the peppers into the mashed potatoes and with a wooden spoon. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Spoon the mashed potato mixture in the buttered heat-proof casserole dish. Level out and top with the cheese and more of the remaining poblano peppers.
On the top rack of the pre-heated oven, bake the mashed potatoes until all the cheese has melted, about 5-10 minutes. (Optional: place under the broiler for a few minutes to brown the top.) Serve immediately.
