I've never made mashed potatoes before and I have to admit, this was the dish that made me most nervous. It's such an easy thing to make, but it can go wrong very quickly and people can be very disappointed with the result and that is one thing you don't want for Thanksgiving. I am happy to report these were a hit and probably the favorite dish of the night. I bought a new KitchenAid hand mixer just to make these and it did the job perfectly. I was extremely careful not to over-whip them as the recipe advised. I would whip them for a bit and then flip them with a spatula to see if there were any lumps left. If there were lumps I'd whip a little more and repeat. This proved to be the best method and I stopped just at the point when I said to myself "you could give it one last whip". The only complaint? There could've been more of the leeks, shallots and green onions.