Mashed potatoes are the ultimate comfort food. There are so many different ways you can jazz up plain mashed potatoes, but if you want to go ultimate seasonal, you need to mash up these pumpkin mashed potatoes. We know that pumpkin recipes and mashed potato recipes are everywhere this time of year, and this recipe is the best of both. This recipe takes so little prep time and it's easy to scale up, which makes it perfect for weeknight dinner and a holiday side dish.

You can go sweet with pumpkin mashed potatoes, adding maple syrup and pumpkin pie spice to make it more like candied sweet potatoes. But the best recipe for this side dish is on the savory side. Start with two large russet potatoes, peeled and chopped into one-inch cubes. Add the potatoes and three cloves of peeled garlic to a large saucepan and cover the potatoes with water. Bring the water to a boil and cook potatoes until they are tender, which should take a total time of about 10 minutes.

Drain the potatoes and garlic and place them in a large bowl. Mash them using a potato masher or a hand mixer on the lowest setting. In a pinch, you can use a big fork to mash them, too. Add one cup canned pumpkin puree. (Note: This pumpkin mashed potatoes recipes is an excellent way to use up the pumpkin puree leftover from the can after you make pumpkin muffins or other pumpkin recipes.) To the potato and pumpkin mixture, add 1/2 cup unsalted butter and 1/4 cup whole milk.

Stir in a cup of shredded smoked cheddar cheese. If you can't find smoked cheddar, you can use plain as well. Add at least 1/4 teaspoon salt (kosher salt works best if you have it) and one tablespoon of chopped fresh sage (about 10-12 leaves), along with fresh ground black pepper to taste. Mix everything together until it's smooth and the cheese is melted. You can also add caramelized onions for an extra rich taste, or garnish these pumpkin mashed potatoes with crispy fried onions (they're not just for green bean casserole!).

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