Spices add zip to refrigerated mashed potatoes

Packaged, refrigerated mashed potatoes are easy to use, fast and taste just like they're homemade, so we serve them a lot. And while plain mashed potatoes are terrific, we also like to vary this crowd-pleasing side dish. Today's recipes for two distinctly different (yet equally easy) potato casseroles are a tribute to the versatility of these refrigerated wonders.

If we served Tex-Mex Four-Cheese Potato Casserole on Monday night and Italian Style Four-Cheese Potato Casserole on Tuesday, our families would be thrilled. Each casserole relies on containers of already-cooked and mashed potatoes, already-shredded cheese (in "blends" of four different cheeses) and a few herbs and spices.

We've found refrigerated mashed potatoes in several different locations of the grocery store. They're sometimes stocked in the prepared meat section, the dairy section or alongside the fresh pasta. Depending on the brand, package sizes vary also. (We've seen a range, starting at 1 pound, 4 ounces and going up to 2 pounds.) Serving sizes also range from 4 to 6.

We've based today's recipes on the 2-pound package size, and each casserole serves 6. If only the smaller containers of potatoes are available, just use them instead. Your dish will just be richer with more cheese flavor.

Blends of four different cheeses all in the same bag are also widely available. Our Tex-Mex potato casserole uses a blend of Monterey Jack, cheddar, asadero and quesadilla cheeses. The Italian version includes a blend of provolone, Parmesan, Romano and mozzarella. If you can't find the four-cheese blends, an equal amount of a two-cheese blend (usually Jack and cheddar for Tex-Mex and mozzarella and Parmesan for Italian) will work well, too.

Choose a style and pick up a package of refrigerated mashed potatoes, and you're only 13 minutes from a yummy potato casserole for dinner tonight.

TEX-MEX FOUR-CHEESE POTATO CASSEROLE

Start to finish: 13 minutes

1 (2-pound) package refrigerated mashed potatoes

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

3/4 cup shredded 4-cheese Mexican-blend cheese

1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic

1. Place the top oven rack about 5 inches away from the broiler element and turn the broiler on high.