Easy Cheesy Mashed Potatoes Recipe
Rich, decadent and velvety, these Cheesy Mashed Potatoes are one of my favourite side dishes for the holiday season. This cheesy mashed potatoes recipe takes mash potatoes to a whole new level! Restaurant style, high-end mash that’s quick and easy – perfect!
Cheesy Mashed Potatoes
Making the perfect mashed potato with cheese is possible with a few basic cooking techniques. And believe me friends, cheesy mashed potatoes is truly delicious!
Let’s face it, we’ve all looked for new ways to improve on our mash. It’s easy to get caught in a rut and be left with mediocre mash. I’ve been there. That’s why I decided to look for ways to elevate my mash and allow it to truly live up to its potential.
It tried and tested all sorts of options, and one of my favourites is cheesy mashed potatoes – deliciously fluffy, extra smooth and rich in flavour.
In my slightly obsessive trying, testing and wondering what is the trick to good mashed potatoes, I found inspiration in Joël Robuchon, a French master chef, on his famous dish, purée de pommes de terre.
I applied some of his cooking technique to my recipe and the difference in texture and flavour is pretty remarkable! I really gained an appreciation for putting just a little more effort into making mash shine on your plate.
So I made mashed potatoes with herb-filled creamy cheese. It’s straightforward to make but just a little bit fancy! So I’m so delighted to share this cheesy mashed potatoes recipe with you.
Bring joy into your life and share it with loved ones. Read on!
Making best cheesy mash
For me, mashed potatoes are an essential side dish for the holiday season. It’s such a classic comfort food, and perfect accompaniment to just about anything. And I wanted to make it special and decadent with a wow factor!
When I thought of cheesy potato mash, I immediately thought of my favourite French cheese, Boursin. It’s a spreadable cheese, and its herb-garlic version seemed like the perfect option. We are going to make garlic cheese mashed potatoes.
Boursin is a French brand name and is a fancy gourmet cheese. I love adding it to a holiday cheese platter. Of course, it’s a tiny bit decadent to use it for mash, but sometimes you’ve got to go the extra mile to bring joy to the kitchen table!
I tried and tested mash with Boursin cheese, and it worked perfectly with Joël Robuchon style mashed potatoes.
Why you’ll love this recipe of mashed potato with cheese
- The cheesy mashed potatoes are made easily on the stove top
- It has moreish cheesy garlic with mashed potatoes
- It’s versatile and can accompany and elevate so many dishes
- It’s got a velvety, creamy texture
Instead of adding higher fat cheddar or parmesan cheese, I made this cheese potato mash much lighter and healthier with cream cheese. It has much less fat.
What is better for making mashed potatoes, milk or cream?
I use milk instead of cream because cream contains more fat and is heavier. Milk also helps make the mashed potatoes fluffier.
How do you mash potatoes without a masher?
My favourite for this mashed potato is a food mill, potato ricer or tamis (strainer). I recommend to use either of them for this recipe. You are going to make an extra creamy and decadent restaurant style mashed potato. It cannot be made with a handheld potato masher.
What potatoes are best for mashing
Yukon Gold and Yellow Fin, less starchy potatoes, are the best for creamy mash recipe. They create smooth and silky texture. For Australian readers, Kipfler is the best.
To make the mashed potatoes extra smooth and creamy, less starchy potatoes are best.
Ingredients for cheesy mashed potatoes
This mashed potato recipe with cream cheese uses simple ingredients you can easily find in your kitchen.
Cream cheese is the centerpiece of this mashed potatoes with cheese. I tried other cheese like parmesan and cheddar, and my favourite is cream cheese for this mash cheese. I use homemade cream cheese, but of course you can use any.
Boursin herb garlic cheese (or a homemade version of it) results in the ideal cheesy garlic mashed potatoes!
How to Make Cheesy Mashed Potatoes
These creamy, cheesy mashed potatoes are fluffy and full of flavour. Read on for the secrets of success for this recipe.
Cooking
I usually cook potato without skin, but not for this recipe. Cook potatoes with skin, starting from cold water. When the water boils, turn to medium-low heat and simmer. Otherwise only the exterior is cooked while the inside is undercooked.
Mashing
Use a food mill or potato ricer, and mash potatoes while they are still hot. If you don’t have these, try a tamis (strainer). I don’t recommend a handheld masher for this recipe.
While you mash with a tamis, use a hard spatula. Push it down straight and mash. There’s no need to draw the spatula across the potatoes horizontally. Otherwise they’ll create excessive starch. The texture becomes gummy!
Mixing up
I like to make my own version of Boursin-like cheese with herb garlic flavour. I tried and tested different amounts of cream cheese but settled with cream cheese and butter for 2:1 proportion. Also one grated garlic clove is perfect.
The important tip here is avoid over mixing the ingredients. This way you can avoid making the mashed potatoes gummy.
Let’s make the mashed potatoes creamy and soft with milk. When the milk is warm, it will combine well with potatoes. First warm up the milk in a large sauce pan, and add mashed potatoes.
Make sure you add the butter first and then cream cheese bit by bit. Check out it’s combined before you add more. This way the emulation goes well. You can avoid the butter mix separating from the potato.
Add herbs, and salt to taste.
That’s it! Serve immediately. Enjoy!
FAQs
How to store cheesy mashed potatoes
Mashed potatoes are best enjoyed as soon as they’re made. If you’d like to save it, keep it in an air tight container for three days in the fridge.
Can you freeze cheesy mashed potatoes?
Yes! I’ll tell you how to freeze cheesy mash below.
Freezing all at once
Make sure the cheesy mash is completely cooled down. Add it to a freezer bag, flatten them with hand, and remove the extra air. Leave it for a month in the freezer..
Single
Scoop up the mashed cheesy potatoes with an ice cream scooper, and place it on a baking sheet. Leave it in the freezer. Once it becomes solid, transfer to a freezer bag, and remove the air. Save them in the freezer for a month.
How to defrost cheesy mash
I leave the bag in the fridge overnight, and naturally defrost them. Transfer them into a pan and add low heat on the stove top. If it looks dry, add milk. Slowly warm up with low heat and stir occasionally.
Our side dishes:
Cheesy Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
Cooking potatoes
- 2 lb potatoes (900g: note 1)
- 1 tablespoon sea salt (or Kosher salt)
Seasoning
- 4 oz salted butter (½ slick, ½ cup, 113g)
- 8 oz cream cheese (1 slick, 1 cup, 226g: or homemade cream cheese)
- 1 clove grated garlic
- ¾ cup whole milk (177ml and more)
- 1 tablespoon chive freshly chopped
- 1 tablespoon parsley freshly chopped
- sea salt (to taste for finishing or Kosher)
Instructions
Cooking potatoes
- Clean the potatoes and place them skin-on in a medium sized pan. Add cold water and salt. Add medium-high heat and bring to the boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Keep potato simmering until they become soft. (note 2)
- If you have a food mill, remove the skin from the potatoes and mash them all at once. Or with a tamis, fine mesh trainer, push down the potato with a spatula and mash it. Avoid pulling or drawing the spatula across the potatoes. Simply push them down. Set aside. (note 3)
Seasoning
- Add milk into a large pan, warm it up with medium heat. Turn the heat to low, and add mashed potatoes. Combine them with a whisk until smooth.
- Add one forth of butter into the potatoes, and combine with a whisk. Keep doing another three times with the rest of the butter. Do the same with cream cheese. (note 4)
- Add more milk if the mashed potato mix is too thick. Add chopped chive and parsley. Add salt to taste.That's it! Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- Less starchy potatoes work best for this recipe. Pick up Yukon Gold or Yellow Fin. They are widely available in the US and Canada. In Australia, Kipfler can be used.
- Start cooking potatoes from cold water. If they are cooked with boiling water, the exterior of the potatoes is cooked excessively while inside is not yet cooked.
- Avoid drawing potatoes horizontally with a spatula as it produces excessive starch. This makes the texture gummy.
- This avoids separating the ingredients and helps you emulation. So add the cream cheese and butter mix bit by bit.
