Mashed potatoes are a side dish staple, whether at your favorite holiday dinner, playing a supporting role to the majestic turkey or standing rib roast, or on random Tuesday nights, where they are ideal for mopping up gravy or the juices from pan-seared pork chops. And for good reason. They’re comforting, inexpensive, easy to make, and feed plenty.
This cheesy mashed potato recipe from Tara Teaspoon stands above the rest by transforming the simple side dish into something special, just by adding some smoky cheese and a handful of sliced scallions. Go on, see for yourself.
What You’ll Need to Make This
- Russet potatoes–This will give you light, fluffy potatoes. If you prefer a creamier mashed potato, substitute Yukon Gold potatoes or use a combination of the two.
- Smoked Gouda–This lends a slightly smoky flavor to the potatoes. You can substitute plain Gouda if you prefer.
- Scallions–These make a pretty garnish for your potatoes and add a light onion flavor to the dish. Snipped fresh chives will also work in place of the scallions.
How to Make This Recipe
- Place potatoes in a pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, then the potatoes in a colander. Mix the potatoes in a stand mixer or pass them through a ricer into a large bowl.
- Pour the milk into the mashed potatoes.
- Add the butter to the mashed potatoes.
- Stir in the salt and cheese.
- Add half the scallions to the potatoes.
- Whip the potatoes until creamy and fluffy. Top with the remaining scallions and serve.
Common Questions
Mashed potatoes are a classic holiday side dish, so they’d be great served with your Thanksgiving turkey or alongside your holiday rib roast. The testers also enjoyed them alongside meatloaf, grilled steak, and roast chicken.
You can make the potatoes up to 2 days before serving. Store them in a covered, buttered baking dish in the refrigerator.
Remove them from the fridge a couple of hours before serving, then reheat them in a 325°F oven until warmed through, about 30 minutes. If the potatoes seem dry, stir in a little warm milk before serving.
Overworking your potatoes tends to cause them to become gummy. I recommend using a ricer for best results, but if you don’t have one available, use a hand masher or a mixer fitted with the whisk or paddle attachment. Don’t use a food processor or blender, which will turn out over-processed, gluey mashed potatoes.
Helpful Tips
- This makes a large batch of potatoes. Feel free to halve the recipe for smaller gatherings.
- Take care not to overmix your potatoes. Beating or mixing them too much can cause them to become gummy.
- Store leftover mashed potatoes in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months. If frozen, thaw them in the fridge before reheating.
- This recipe is suitable for gluten-free diets.
Why Our Testers Loved This
The testers were smitten with these mashed potatoes’ smoky flavor and creamy texture. Tester Helen H. summed it up best when she said, “I mean, who doesn’t like smoky cheesy potatoes?”
More Marvelous Mashed Potato Recipes
Write a Review
If you make this recipe, or any dish on LC, consider leaving a review, a star rating, and your best photo in the comments below. I love hearing from you.–David
Cheesy Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 5 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch (5-cm) pieces
- 4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 1 cup whole milk, warmed, plus more if needed
- 2 tablespoons (1 oz) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more melted butter for serving
- 3/4 cup grated smoked Gouda
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced, divided
Instructions
- Place the potatoes and 2 teaspoons of salt in a large pot. Add enough cold water to cover the potatoes by 2 inches (5 cm)and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until the potatoes are fork tender, but not falling apart, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain in a colander.
- Pass the potatoes through a ricer or food mill into a large bowl. Alternatively, you can whisk the potatoes in the bowl of a stand mixer or using a hand mixer until finely crumbled, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Stir in the remaining 2 teaspoons salt, warm milk, butter, smoked Gouda, and half the scallions. Beat until just smooth, adding more milk if needed to achieve a light, creamy texture.
- Serve hot, garnished with remaining scallions, and drizzled with melted butter, if desired.
Notes
- Scaling the recipe–This makes a very large batch of potatoes. Feel free to halve the recipe for smaller gatherings.
- Don’t overmix–Take care not to overmix your potatoes. Beating or mixing them too much can cause them to become gummy.
- Leftovers–Store leftover mashed potatoes in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months. If frozen, thaw them in the fridge before reheating.
- Reheating–Warm the potatoes in a covered buttered baking dish in a 325°F oven until heated through, about 30 minutes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe Testers’ Reviews
This cheesy mashed potatoes recipe is a great side dish for the holidays or any day once the weather cools off. It’s easy to prepare, doesn’t take much time, and looks lovely once plated. It would look great on a buffet, too.
This is a great way to elevate your mashed potatoes. The smoked Gouda gives them a unique smoky twist, and scallions are always a perfect addition. The recipe makes a large amount, perfect for a crowd, especially if you’re hosting a holiday or other special occasion.
A ricer would be the best choice for the lightest, fluffiest mashed potatoes. These potatoes will be the perfect accompaniment to many different proteins. I served them with marinated grilled flank steak and mixed grilled vegetables. Delicious!
“You can make this anytime!” said my husband, who isn’t a huge potato fan. So, I made them a second time!!!
Smooth, creamy, slightly smoky, and just plain delicious. These mashed potatoes with cheese were great plain, but they work with pretty much any sauce/gravy. I think they would be particularly excellent with turkey gravy.
The first time we enjoyed them was with homemade meatloaf; the second was with chicken and a mushroom/shallot gravy…mmm! The leftovers reheated very well, too.
We were very much looking forward to this cheesy mashed potato recipe, I mean, who doesn’t like smoky, cheesy potatoes?
The first time I made this for us it was so close to being what we were hoping for. It is a simple recipe to make but I feel the smoked Gouda I chose let us down. The potatoes were light and fluffy and I used a locally made lightly smoked Gouda.
The potatoes were lovely and creamy but the smoke flavour on the cheese was very light and didn’t come through in the potatoes. The scallions added a freshness to the dish.
I made this a second time with a commercially smoked Gouda. This time the smoky flavour came through much better.
☞ TESTER TIP: I would definitely recommend this dish, but make sure you use a Gouda cheese that is well-smoked. You should be able to smell the smoke lightly through the package.
