Smoky, creamy and totally luxurious, these potatoes, featuring Chapel Hill Creamery’s Smoked Farmer’s Cheese offers a new and interesting variation to your holiday side dish repertoire. The potatoes can be easily cooked ahead of time and the sauce takes only a couple of minutes to put together. Best of all, it’s all cooked in the same pot, making clean-up a cinch and freeing you to be with your guests. I prefer my potatoes in large chunks but smaller pieces will work too. Spanish smoked paprika takes these to a new level of goodness.

Serves 8
4 large Yukon Gold potatoes (about 2 pounds),
washed, scrubbed and unpeeled
1 wheel (about 5 ounces) Smoked Farmer’s
Cheese, remove rind and cut into ½-inch pieces
¾ cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1½ teaspoons sea salt
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup chopped chives

Place the potatoes in a large pot, cover with cold water and set it over high heat. Bring water to a boil; lower the heat to medium-high and boil the potatoes, covered, until they are fork tender (30 to 35 minutes for large potatoes). Drain the potatoes, cut each into quarters and set aside.

In the same pot, set over medium heat, place the cheese, cream, butter, salt, paprika, and black pepper. Stir constantly, until the cheese is melted (4 to 5 minutes). Return potatoes to the pot and stir into the sauce. Continue to cook the potatoes over medium heat, stirring occasionally for 3 to 4 minutes, or until sauce thickens slightly. Transfer potatoes to a serving platter, garnish with chives, and serve immediately.