This recipe dates to somewhere in the late 1800's. It's one of the older family recipes, well loved comfort food. I think you'll enjoy it too. This is not mashed potatoes. It's whole, spoon sized, mini potatoes simmered in a milk sauce, which you make as thick or thin as you prefer, and buttery.

2 to 3 pounds 1" to 2" whole red or white potatoes, or 2 to 3 pounds mini potatoes 2 cans Evaporated Milk or 2 cups Heavy Cream 1/2 stick Dairy Butter, sliced (not margarine) 1/4 to 1/2 cup All Purpose Flour 1 tablespoon Kosher or Sea Salt (optional) Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

Add about a cup of water to a medium sized pot, dissolve salt in water. Set aside.

1 to 1 1/2 inch Red potatoes are the best choice, if not bigger than 2-inches in diameter. The small bags of mini potatoes can be substituted, but they must not cook for as long, as they'll overcook to a mush quickly. The potatoes need to cook until they melt in your mouth, but not so much that they turn into mashed potatoes in the pot. Melty, spoon-sized potato bliss is the main goal.

Scrub all the potatoes with a brush under running tap water, trim off any dark spots or blemishes. Rinse off and add scrubbed potatoes to the medium sized pot.

Pour in enough water to just cover the potatoes, don't add more than that.

Bring this to a boil. Then reduce heat to a simmer and simmer for about 30 minutes (30 minutes for larger potatoes, mini potatoes cook in about 15 minutes). Take from heat and cover.

Allow to cool covered for about 15 minutes, though this step is not strictly necessary. This allows the potatoes to finish cooking if they're large, without overcooking. Small, one inch mini potatoes will not need this step, as they overcook quickly.

Dissolve the 1/4 cup flour in one can of evaporated milk (or in one cup heavy cream), make sure there are zero lumps, make it smooth, a whisk helps.

Use a slotted spoon to gently remove all of the potatoes from the pot. Reserve 1 cup of the potato water, keep the rest to thin the sauce if it's getting too thick (in the next steps). Leave the potatoes in a bowl until the milk sauce is made.

Mix one cup reserved potato water with the milk/flour mixture, combine and make sure there's no lumps. Begin warming this on medium low heat at the beginning. Whisk or stir this the entire time it's being heated. It will begin thickening as the flour in the milk cooks.

Add the butter and stir, add the rest of the milk from the second can, and keep stirring the whole while. Be careful not to scorch this. If needed, add more of the reserved potato water if it's getting too thick. Cook until it's the consistency of thin batter.

Gently add all the potatoes into the milk sauce, now they will cook in the milk sauce until very tender. Not falling to pieces tender, but melt in your mouth tender. Keep the temp low. This is why you'd do best to get 1 to 2 inch red potatoes; they won't overcook as quickly as the mini potatoes will.

This can be baked in the oven on low (275°f to 325°f). This was the preferred method during the cold months, as it helped warm the home while it baked, and filled the home with a delicious, potato-y, toasty warm aroma.

In hot weather, we cooked this on the stovetop, or in a crockpot to reduce extra heat in the house. Be careful of scorching the sauce if cooking on the stovetop. An occasional gentle stir of the bottom is most helpful. I tend to fold upwards from the bottom, a wooden spoon is best.

If preferred, you could add a little more butter once served, and crack some fresh black pepper over it too. The aroma is so delicious, and the warm, satisfying flavors in this will compliment many other chicken and pork main dishes.

If you prefer to make a simple cream gravy with a roux, by all means use it. That way is delicious as well. The first method isn't as greasy as a cream gravy made from a roux, unless lots of butter is added to the milk sauce.

This is a dish that tends to satisfy hungry bellies, and soothes an acid stomach. (unless too much butter is added).

Options:

This can be made into a creamy soup, or made with far less milk sauce. My favorite way to touch it up is to add a cup or more of smoked ham cubes or leftover pork roast. Always good is to add a handful of shredded cheese to melt into the milk sauce, like colby or mild cheddar, or add cooked bacon crumbles and cheese together.

Note: fresh milk of any sort could be substituted for the canned evaporated milk. Our family used evaporated milk because we enjoyed the rich flavor it gave the dish. We've made it with several types of milk. A good, mild goat milk is extra creamy and delicious too. I hope you enjoy this as much as my family have. :)