Potato

Rick Rodgers, cookbook author and teacher, says, "I've always thought of mashed potatoes as an everyday way to serve potatoes, but scalloped potatoes really say special occasion to me. Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter—they all call for scalloped potatoes, not something as humble as mashed. And since I've never been one for bland food, I kept fiddling with the amount and types of cheeses until I got this full-flavored version. If you like it with turkey, wait until you try it with the Easter ham."

The star of this dish is skordalia, a garlicky dip that is the Greek version of aioli.

Lane Crowther, Bon Appétit contributing editor, says, "When I was young, the potatoes on the holiday table were always mashed. Even today, my mother, who is still in charge of our Thanksgiving dinners, will rarely stray from tradition. Either there has to be a trade-off to get her to try something new, or—as in the case of this recipe—innovation simply comes as an addition to the menu, not a replacement. Well, with so many different kinds of potatoes available nowadays, I like to mix varieties for their contrasting flavors, textures and colors. This combination of red potatoes and Yukon Gold is an easy-to-make and great-tasting accompaniment to any meal."

Choucroute — the pickled cabbage that is a cornerstone of Alsatian cuisine — is similar to sauerkraut. One key difference is that choucroute is always cooked in wine. Here, sauerkraut is combined with smoked ham hocks, sausages and potatoes.

Food writer Adam Rapoport fried these latkes in a combination of vegetable oil and schmaltz (rendered chicken fat), a tactic that apparently gave him the edge over the competition in the James Beard Foundation's Fourth Annual Latke Cook-Off. He won both the People's Choice and the Amateur awards. This recipe has two things going for it, shared by most really good recipes: it's tried and true, and it came from someone's mother, in this case, Rapoport's mom, Maxine.

An easy-to-make infused oil makes a big difference in the taste of these potatoes.

Complete the menu with a salad of romaine, fresh dill and a lemon vinaigrette. St. George — a slightly spicy dry red wine from Greek vintner George Skouras — is nice with the fish; Pinot Noir would also work well.

This recipe originally accompanied Braised Beef Short Ribs with Root Vegetable Ragout.

These mashed potatoes are a great accompaniment to the bass fillets with mushrooms and the shrimp and endive. Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 40 min

Bake these potatoes in the oven along with the Prosciutto and Goat Cheese Strata .

These supremely easy, wonderfully spicy potatoes are delicious with Panfried Pork Chops with Pomegranate and Fennel Salsa.

A 3 1/2-pound chicken works well, too, in this dish from Syracuse.

This recipe originally accompanied Buffalo Steak and Onion Confit on Garlic Toasts .

This is my favorite mashed potato recipe. These mashed potatoes taste as if they contain a great deal more fat than they do. I use buttermilk to mash the potatoes because it has a natural creaminess yet is far lower in fat than milk or cream, and I add a small amount of butter at the end, only after the potatoes have absorbed the liquid. The butter stays on the surface of the potatoes, its flavor readily discernible, imparting a truly rich finish. Be sure to use fine-textured, thin-skinned potatoes like Yellow Finns or Yukon Golds, which become extremely creamy when mashed. If made with baking potatoes, the result will be grainy and watery.

From Daniel Boulud and Alex Lee, the former executive chef at Daniel in New York.

Scented with grated orange peel and spices, this dish is a combination of classic holiday flavors. You can make it a day ahead and reheat it on the stove top or in the microwave.