U.S. Marines Mashed Potatoes and Brown Gravy

During Fleet Week 2004, GMA held a cook-off pitting the U.S. Marines against the U.S. Navy. The following recipe is from the U.S. Marines during Fleet Week May 27, 2004

Mashed Potatoes:
2 pounds Idaho potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/2 inch thick
4 tablespoons sweet butter
3/4 cup whole milk
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper

Place potatoes in a large pot with enough water to cover potatoes.

Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until potatoes are tender. This should take about 20 minutes.

Drain potatoes into a colander. Return drained potatoes to the large pot.

Add the butter salt, pepper and half of the milk.

Mash potatoes with a masher until smooth, add the remaining milk as you are mashing.

Brown Gravy:
4 ounces flour
4 tablespoon butter
3 cups hot chicken stock
2 to 10 1/2 ounces chicken gravy

Melt butter in a medium-size pot.

Add the flour and stir together constantly with a wooden spoon until flour butter mixture begins to brown.

Slowly add the hot liquid, stir with a wire whisk until all the stock is absorbed and there are no lumps.

Then add the gravy and bring to a boil stirring constantly and simmer 10 minutes.

Strain gravy and serve with the potatoes.

Recipe courtesy of the Food Service Company from Headquarters and Service Battalion, 2d Force Service Support Group, II Marine Expeditionary Force in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina