[Photograph: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt] Check out other recipes from My All-Pie Thanksgiving Fantasy » About the author: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt is the Managing Editor of Serious Eats where he likes to explore the science of home cooking in his weekly... More

This recipe for Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes incorporates a few easy but game changing elements. First off is the potato cooking method. Instead of aggressively boiling, Ruhlman opts for a gentle simmer on medium-low heat; this way the exterior doesn't disintegrate into the cooking water. The potatoes are then drained and left aside for their steam to release, therefore drying out the potatoes slightly and making for a fluffier mash. The final element added to this amazing mash—and the one that sets it apart—is brown butter, with all its caramelly, nutty flavor. Incorporating brown butter into mashed potatoes gives them an added element of richness in a way that is both nearly effortless but totally elegant. This is of those recipes that will certainly change the way you think about humble mashed potatoes from here on out. More

Before coming across this recipe for Al Halabi Style Kebabs with Potato Moutabel in Silvena Rowe's Purple Citrus & Sweet Perfume, I had never really thought about meat and potatoes existing in Eastern Mediterranean cuisine. But these skewers of ground lamb mixed with finely chopped peppers, mushrooms, and nuts served over tahini and yogurt mashed potatoes are exactly that. More

This big pile of sausages served with mashed potatoes and onion gravy is adapted from Dinah Buchholz's The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook and is certainly the kind of meal that will steel you against all sorts of darkly magical onslaughts. The sausages are spiced with all sorts of herbs (more mundane than magical, but delicious nonetheless), including marjoram, thyme, and sage, that give these all-beef (or beef and pork) links a wonderfully herbal kick. More

I have to thank Lourdes Castro, author of Latin Grilling for bringing this Crab, Avocado, and Potato Terrine (or Causa Limeña as it's known in its native Peru) into my life. With its layers of creamy, spicy mashed potatoes, sweet crab tossed with scallions, cilantro, and lime juice, and cool avocado, it marries three separately delicious elements into one mind-blowing terrine. More

Aligot is the ultimate comfort food—think, ski lodge, by the fire, warming and filling you up. It's kind of like a potato fondue: mashed potatoes whipped with melted cheese until it gets gooey and smotheringly delicious. More

It's a simplified mash made with only a few ingredients—creamy yellow Yukon Golds, sea salt, cracked pepper, a few tablespoons of good olive oil, and scallion slivers. Unlike mashed potatoes that are loaded up with cream and butter, these let the sweetness of the potatoes and olive oil shine through. But even without the dairy, they're creamy with little bites of spicy peppercorns and oniony scallions scattered throughout. And when the juices from the chicken run into the potatoes? Well, it doesn't really any better. More

Adapted from Amanda Hesser's The Essential New York Times Cookbook, this Spanish accented croquette recipe came from Melissa Clark's A Good Appetite column. Inspired by a glut of leftover mashed potatoes from Thanksgiving, Clark mixed them up with little chunks of salty Serrano ham, smoked Spanish paprika, and sweet-spicy piquillo peppers. Rolled in flour, dipped in egg wash, and finally dusted in breadcrumbs, the little croquetas fry up with a beautifully crisp crust and soft, smoky centers filled with creamy potato dotted with diced ham and pepper. More

The smell of freshly baked biscuits can create an atmosphere of warmth and comfort throughout the house—and this recipe can also help use up ample Thanksgiving leftovers. Mashed potato biscuits are tender and flaky, but have enough structure to hold up to a slice of turkey and a dollop of gravy. Warm out of the oven with some cranberry butter, these tender biscuits go well with a hot cup of strong tea. More

This Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie from Lyniece North Talmadge's The Sweet Potato Lover's Cookbook takes the classic mashed potato topping and swaps it out for mashed sweets. The super savory filling is a mix of ground beef or turkey sautéed with tomatoes, thyme, and an umami blast of Worcestershire and shiitake mushrooms, rich and meaty enough to stand up to the sweetness of the sweet potato topping. More