Make them extra special with homemade crème fraiche and even homemade butter (how-to’s follow), made from fabulous Kentucky Proud dairy products (I use JDs Country Milk cream and buttermilk.) Of course, you can also make them with store-bought butter and sour cream.

Another virtue of these potatoes is that they hold their heat better at the table than plain mashed potatoes — always handy if you have a large crowd to feed. I hate cold mashed potatoes, but trying to juggle the various dishes on the stove so that everything is as hot as can be when it is served on the holiday table is enough to drive this cook around the bend. These double-cooked potatoes take up some oven space and time, but they are easily heated while the turkey is resting and you are making the gravy, so they come to the table piping hot.

• Peel and cut up the potatoes and boil as you would for regular mashed potatoes. When soft, drain, add the butter and mash with forks or a potato masher. (I like them a little chunky — if you want them extra smooth, use a mixer or ricer but don’t over mix and make them gummy.)
• Gently stir in the cheese, crème fraiche, salt and pepper to taste. There is quite a bit of salt in the cheese, so taste before adding more than ½ teaspoon.
• You can add some sliced green onion to the mix if you like, but I prefer the pure flavor of the potatoes to stand out so I don’t stir them in. Smooth potatoes into a 9- by 13-inch baking dish or other similar table-appropriate casserole. Make sure you have at least ½ inch between the top of the potatoes and the dish rim. These puff up while baking and will run over the top and burn in your oven. I speak from experience!
• You can hold the dish before baking if you want. Cover and refrigerate a day or two. When ready to bake, let the dish come to room temperature before putting it in the oven.
• Bake at 350°F. for 30 to 40 minutes.