Claire is Lifehacker's Senior Food Editor. She has a B.S. in chemistry, a decade of food journalism experience, and a deep love for mayonnaise and MSG. Mashed potatoes are as involved as you want them ...

I had a head of cauliflower in my fridge and decided to turn it into a cheesy, crisp, easy vegetarian dinner. I cooked the cauliflower in the microwave oven, mashed it and added the other ingredients.

“Po-tay-toes! Boil ’em, mash ’em, stick ’em in a stew.” Hobbits aren’t the only people who love spuds. We’re fans, too—we’ve collected about 100 potato recipe s, after all! While mashed potatoes are ...