Did you know that today, Sunday, August 19, 2012, is National Potato Day? I ♥ potatoes! They are so versatile. Next to pasta they are probably one of the most versatile foods that we have. You can mash them, baked them, roast them, turn them into a salad, add them to stews and casseroles… the possibilities are endless.
Do you have a favorite way to eat potatoes? My two top favorite ways is baked and mashed. My family, including my husband, love mashed potatoes the best.
My mother in law used to make croquettes using left over mashed potatoes. I wish she showed me how to make them because my husband talks about them all the time and how much he misses them (my mother in law passed away many years ago).
My mom used to make mashed potatoes too, from scratch. As much as I love fresh, homemade mashed potatoes I simply don’t have the time to make them from scratch. That is why I opt for pre-made mashed potatoes that have the taste and texture of freshly made mashed potatoes, but without all the time and effort put into them.
The #1 selling refrigerated mashed potatoes in America is Bob Evans Mashed Potatoes. I wish my mom was still alive because she would buy Bob Evans products all the time. They were not readily available back when she passed away. She used to rave about Bob Evans restaurants and would eat at one every chance she had. I only at there once. I forgot what state it was in but I know it was down south. I honestly don’t remember much about my experience. All I know is that my mom always raved about the place.
In honor of Bob Evans Mashed Potatoes being named America’s favorite mashed potatoes, Bob Evans’ culinary team created some amazing recipes that showcase mashed potatoes. To add a fun twist to these recipes, they can all be served in Martini glasses. They are affectionately referred to as Mashtinis.
The Mashtini recipes include Mediterranean and French and American regional recipes such as Club, Sweet Swirl and Wildfire. Sweet Swirl was the one I really wanted to try but my local grocery store didn’t have any Bob Evans mashed sweet potatoes. It’s still on my “must try” recipe list.
These are no ordinary recipes. There recipes include such gourmet delights as caramelized cabernet onions, Boursin cheese and crispy prosciutto. Of course you are always welcome to create your own Mashtini recipe too. 
I was sent a fun Mashtini glass and some Mashtini recipes to try out with my family. I wanted to invite friends over but it never worked out. A lot of friends were off on their summer vacations, so we had to “party” by ourselves. That is fine with us too.
I really wanted to try the Sweet Swirl recipe that included Bob Evans sweet potatoes, Bob Evans regular potatoes, marshmallows, pecans, bacon and maple syrup. Yumm…. I’m drooling just thinking about it.
I’m the only one in my family who likes sweet potatoes, so I had to come up with another idea (not to mention our store didn’t have any Bob Evans Mashed Sweet Potatoes).
My next idea was incorporating Sloppy Joe into a Mashtini recipe. That is until I came up with an even better idea – Salsa! My family loves salsa. We use it as more than just a chip dip. We use salsa with scrambled eggs and on chicken, just to name a few. So I decided to whip up a Mashtini using salsa and Bob Evans Mashed Potatoes. I also sprinkled the top with some garlic pepper to give it even more of a “kick” and embellished it with a chip and a veggie straw to make it look like a real drink.
I didn’t have enough Martini glasses for everyone in my family so we had to use just this one as our “centerpiece”. Everyone took turns “drinking” (eating) from the Mashtini glass. I also served mashed potatoes on a plate and drizzled it with salsa so everyone could enjoy it. I made sure to include the chips too.
I used a natural, organic salsa for this recipe. The Bob Evans mashed potatoes taste fresh and homemade that I wanted to carry on that taste experience with the salsa.
I made the Salsa Mashtini by spooning in some salsa into the bottom of the Martini glass. Then I took turns laying in the Bob Evans mashed potatoes and salsa. For the top I just drizzled on a little more salsa, then sprinkled on some garlic pepper and embellished with a Dorito chip and a veggie straw.
My kids got such a kick out of the Mashtini. They made other suggestions about things we can eat out of a Martini glass like pasta, spaghetti, and even stew. LOL!
Check out these videos that show you how to make more super delicious Mashtini recipes.
I think serving your family and guests things like Mashtinis would be a fun thing to do. Even if you don’t have enough Martini glasses you could easily use another type of cocktail glass, like a wine glass or Margarita glass.
Why not consider setting up a Mashtini creation station. Have bowls full of ingredients available for guests and have them create their very own Mashtini recipe. That would be a fun idea.
As you can see mashed potatoes don’t have to be ordinary – they can be extraordinary with just a little creativity.
To learn more about Bob Evans mashed potato recipes check out www.Mashed.BobEvans.com. You can also check out www.BobEvans.com to not only find a restaurant location near you but also to check out their product line.
Bob Evans is also on Facebook and Twitter (@BobEvans).
Bob Evans would like to send a lucky reader their own Mashtini kit (valued at $40!). The kit includes:
- Signature Martini Glass
- Bob Evans Coasters (sorry, I forgot to include them in my photos)
- Coupons for FREE Bob Evans Original Mashed Potatoes
- Mashtini Recipe Booklet
This giveaway is open to US residents only and will end on August 28, 2012 at 12:01 AM (EST). The winner will be chosen at random using a random number generator from all eligible entries. The winner will be notified via e-mail and will have three days to reply or a new winner will be chosen.
To enter please leave a comment on this post and tell me what kind of Mashtini would you create? What ingredients would you use?
For extra entries you can use the Rafflecopter widget (below) but you must complete the initial entry requirement or the additional entries won’t qualify.
Kimberly
*I received a free sample kit in order to facilitate my review/post. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own and are not influenced in any way.
About Kimberly
I would use mashed potatoes and top it with cheese, butter and bacon!
Garlic mashed potatoes garnished with French onion dip, grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese, French’s French fried onions and bacon crumbles.
I would make mashed potatoes with butter, cheese and cream topped with pieces of fajita!
I’d do sour cream, butter, salt, and grilled onions
I’d use bacon, cheese, and sour cream for ours…
sour cream, bacon, cheese
i would use mashed potatoes, bacon, sour cream and chives
I would put:
a layer of potato
then a layer of stuffing
Sweet potato
Dried cranberries
Top with broccoli and gravy
Put slices of turkey along the inside of the rim
bacon, ranch, and tomatoes mashtini
I would use mashed potatoes, cheese sauce, a dollop of sour cream and crumbled bacon
i would create a loaded potato mashtini with bacon, chives, cheese, and sour cream
Garlic MAsh Potatoes With Some Chives And Sour Cream
Mashed potatoes, Bacon, scallions, and sour cream! grammypenny@frontier.com
I would do a buffalo wing, mashed potatoes, chicken chunks in hot sauce, blue cheese, with celery sticks.
Here’s my idea for my Mashtini! It would include mashed potatoes, sour cream, bacon pieces, chopped onion and sliced olives.
Butter, sour cream, bacon and cheese
Well i am sorta a plain person so i would just used butter and salt and pepper and maybe some garlic salt. Thanks
I would layer bacon bits,mashed potatoes and cheddar cheese and call it a bacon,cheddar mashtini overload.
Thanks for the giveaway:)
My mashtini would HAVE to include butter, cheese, and bacon. MMMM!!
I would have butter & BACON and cheddar cheese, YUM.