Wash and cut all potatoes with skins into fourths. You can immediately fill a large pot with water and set on the stove to boil.
While you wait, add the EVOO and garlic into a pan and let it set for three minutes on medium. Once the time is up, set aside. Be careful, the oil will spatter a bit so use a screen to prevent being burned.
Take the cream cheese out of the fridge and let it sit on the counter- you’ll want it to be soft when you add it to the mixture later. Then grate the entire block of Gouda.
Add the potato chunks to the boiling water and leave boiling for 25 minutes. (My method for now is standing back and throwing them into the pot which sprays boiling water all over my range. I’m open to any suggestions or more successful techniques!)
Drain the potatoes and add into a mixing bowl. Then mash them! (I have not yet expanded my culinary tools so I channeled my inner Girl Scout and used a whisk as a masher. Resourceful, eh?)
Add the half and half, butter, half the grated cheese, cream cheese, garlic and crushed red pepper to your liking. Mix until it looks all combined. I like to keep mine kind of lumpy for the added texture.
Spoon mix into a baking brownie pan coated with EVOO. Then top it off with the remainder of the Gouda cheese.
