Baked Garlic Mashed Potatoes

These mashed potatoes are seriously good!  (A little fattening, maybe, but sooo good!)  This is another recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe and we ate these with the grilled chicken the other night.  I used red potatoes since that's what I had on hand and I'm pretty sure I didn't use a full 5 pounds of potatoes.  I also omitted the green onions because I didn't have any.  After the potatoes were done boiling on the stove I whipped everything up with my electric hand mixer....this made the consistency really smooth.  Enjoy!

Baked Garlic Mashed Potatoes

5 pounds russet, red or yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

8 ounces light or regular cream cheese (I used Neufchatel - 1/3 less fat than regular cream cheese.)
3-4 green onions, chopped
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons butter (Could use less w/ still great results.)
1 cup whipping cream

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 9X9-inch baking dish and set aside.

Place the cut potatoes in a large pot and cover with water by one inch. Add 1 teaspoon salt and boil the potatoes for about 10 minutes or until they are tender.

Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot. Mash them a few times and add the rest of the ingredients. Mash and mix well to desired consistency. Scoop the potatoes into the prepared baking pan. Dot with 1-2 tablespoons butter. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the potatoes are lightly browned on top and heated through.