Ranch Mashed Potatoes

Start by peeling and chopping 3 large russet potatoes one at a time. Immediately upon chopping, place the pieces into a saucepot filled with water (off the heat).

Salt the water and bring it all up to a simmer. Once at a simmer, cook the potatoes for 15–20 minutes, until a paring knife inserted into a potato chunk and twisted effortlessly cracks the cube in half, in which the potatoes are ready to drain.

Drain the potatoes and use a potato ricer to rice the potatoes back into a saucepot.

Once all of the potato pieces have been riced, add in ¼ cup of milk, 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter, 1 cup of crispy chopped bacon, 1 tablespoon of finely minced chives, an optional teaspoon of cayenne pepper, chopped scallions and a few hefty shakes of Hidden Valley^® Ranch seasoning.

Add 4 ounces of grated cheddar and a few generous twists of freshly ground black pepper and mix until thoroughly combined.

Ranch Compound Butter:

Add a hefty shake of Hidden Valley^® Ranch seasoning to ½ a stick of unsalted butter and whisk to combine.

Plate a bowl of potatoes and top with even more garnishes: shredded cheese, bacon, scallions and a big scoop of Hidden Valley^® Ranch compound butter.