Cheesy Mashed Potatoes
Cheesy Mashed Potatoes are the perfect side dish, made with buttery gold potatoes mashed with gruyere and cheddar cheese, sour cream, and buttermilk, then baked for a crispy cheesy crust!
Mashed potatoes are a favorite for Thanksgiving and Christmas in this house! For more holiday side dish ideas, check out these Crispy Garlic Parmesan Roasted Potatoes, Broccoli Mac n Cheese, and Cauliflower Au Gratin!
Cheesy Mashed Potatoes are one of my favorite potato recipes, and one comfort food that I definitely plan on making for special occasions. This is the perfect side dish for holiday dinners! If you need to save on oven space, try my Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes.
You can serve these potatoes in a dutch oven, or decoratively in a baking dish. Add a few tablespoons butter and fresh chives (or green onions) for presentation right before serving. These are the perfect potatoes for a potluck, because you can start the recipe at home and refrigerate, then just bake it when you get there!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Potatoes. I really like using Yukon gold potatoes for this recipe, because they’re a good blend of waxy and starchy. This means they hold up well, and the texture comes out perfect almost every time. Plus, you don’t have to peel them first! And the flavor is like a smooth buttery potato.
You can also use red potatoes for this recipe, or a classic potato like russet. If you go with russet potatoes, make sure to peel them first.
I try to stick with medium potatoes, so it’s easier to cut them into about the same sized pieces. This way they all finish cooking at the same time.
Buttermilk. Buttermilk helps add a tangy flavor and a creamy indulgent mouthfeel. You can also use whole milk or heavy cream. If you use 2% milk, it may not have as much of a creamy texture because it’s less fat.
If you run out of milk, vegetable broth will work in a pinch.
Cheese. I’m using two types here, gruyere cheese and sharp cheddar cheese. The cheddar is for flavor, and the gruyere adds a tangy flavor with a creamy, gooey texture.
You can also use other kinds of cheese, like pepper jack or mozzarella cheese. Just make sure to shred the block of cheddar cheese and gruyere yourself, because pre-shredded cheese has anti-caking ingredients that prevent it from melting well.
Sour Cream. Sour cream is for both flavor and texture. The fat from the sour cream helps the potatoes to be extra creamy.
You can also use cream cheese instead of sour cream, then add the buttermilk until you have a texture you like. Cream cheese does not have the tangy flavor that sour cream does, though.
Salt and Pepper. You can add kosher salt and black pepper to taste. You also want to add a pinch of salt to the water to help season the potatoes as they boil.
Chives. I really like how chives and potatoes taste together, so I add them to my mashed potatoes. They also make a really nice presentation when you add a pinch on top at the end.
You can leave them out if you’re not a fan.
How to Make Cheesy Mashed Potatoes
- Wash potatoes thoroughly and cut them into 1-inch pieces. Add to a large pot, then add cold water until potatoes are completely submerged. Then bring the potatoes to a boil, and reduce to a high simmer over medium heat until a fork goes through the potatoes easily. Boil potatoes for about 20-25 minutes.
- Drain potatoes completely. Add all of the other ingredients to the hot potatoes (except for the reserved cheese topping), and using a potato masher (or electric hand mixer), mash everything together. Add salt and black pepper to the potato mixture to taste. Once mashed, make sure the potatoes are in an oven-safe pot or casserole dish and use a spatula to smooth down the top of the potato mixture.
- Sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese and gruyere evenly to the top of the potatoes. At this point, you can let everything cool, cover it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until you’re ready to bake (if you’re making this the day before for a holiday dinner). Or, you can bake the potatoes right away.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cover the potatoes and bake for 15 minutes, then remove the cover and bake an additional 15-20 minutes. To finish, broil for 2-4 minutes or until golden brown, watching carefully so they don’t burn (the broiler can burn things quickly). Top with extra chives and serve.
Storage
Refrigerate cheesy mashed potatoes in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
Freeze cheesy mashed potatoes in an airtight container for 3-4 months. Defrost the frozen potatoes in the refrigerator overnight, then microwave them in increments of 1-2 minutes, stirring in-between, until warmed through.
Frequently Asked Questions
Choosing the right potato is an important part of fluffy mashed potatoes. Some good choices are red potatoes, gold potatoes, and russet potatoes.
Also make sure not to over-cook the potatoes when boiling. This can cause the potatoes to taste soggy and gritty.
Finally, don’t over-mash the potatoes. Over working them can lead to a waxy type of texture.
Yes! This cheesy mash is the perfect dish to make ahead of time. Just follow the directions until you add the cheese mixture to the top of the potatoes. Then allow the dish to cool, cover, and refrigerate.
I would make this the day beforehand, but not much before that. When you’re ready to serve, just bake the potatoes according to the recipe. You may need to add an additional 10 minutes to the baking time if they’re cold to start with.
What to Serve With Mashed Potatoes
- Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
- Italian Dressing Chicken
- Instant Pot Green Beans
- Crispy Oven Fried Pork Chops
Cooking Tips
- When it comes to mashed potatoes, you always want to add the potatoes to cold water. Then bring it to a boil gradually over medium heat. This helps prevent the potatoes from getting soggy because they cooked on the outside faster than the inside.
- I always check the boiling potatoes around the 15 minute mark to avoid mushy potatoes. How long they take to cook depends on how small or large the potato chunks are. If they’re smaller, they’ll cook faster. Larger quarter potatoes will take longer.
- This recipe calls for boiling the potatoes, then baking them. I usually do both steps in a dutch oven, because it can go from stovetop to the oven without any issues.
- This recipe works best with a potato masher, or an electric hand mixer (the same one you use to make cakes). Be careful not to over-mix the potatoes with the hand mixer. You can also use a potato ricer, which helps with the fluffy texture. But the hand mixer is definitely faster.
- Add a kick to these potatoes with some cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes.
- These potatoes also go well with a few roasted garlic cloves, or caramelized onions and crispy bacon for an amazing flavor. Serve with more sour cream, lots of butter, chopped crispy bacon slices, and steamed broccoli for loaded mashed potatoes!
- If you’re serving this for a party, you can add them to a slow cooker on the warm setting, to keep the cheese melted. Just make sure to stick to food safety for how long they’re out for.
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Cheesy Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 3 pounds gold potatoes, cleaned and cut into quarters
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese , shredded (reserve 1/2 cup for topping)
- 1 1/2 cups gruyere cheese , shredded (reserve 1/2 cup for topping)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
- 2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
Equipment
- 1 Dutch oven
- 1 potato masher
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Add potatoes to dutch oven, then add cold water until potatoes are completely submerged. Bring to a boil, and reduce to a high simmer over medium heat until a fork goes through the potatoes easily, about 20-25 minutes.
- Drain the potatoes. Add all other ingredients (except for the reserved cheese topping), and mash everything together. Once mashed, use a spatula to smooth down the top of the potato mixture.
- Sprinkle the shredded cheddar and gruyere evenly on top of the potatoes. Cover the potatoes and bake for 15 minutes, then remove the cover and bake an additional 15-20 minutes.
- To finish, broil for 2-4 minutes or until golden brown, watching carefully so they don't burn. Top with extra chives and serve.
Notes
- If you don’t have a potato masher, use an electric hand mixer.
- Add the potatoes to cold water, then bring it to a boil gradually. This helps prevent the potatoes from getting soggy because they cooked on the outside faster than the inside.
- How long they take to boil depends on how small or large the potato chunks are. If they’re smaller, they’ll cook faster. Larger quarter potatoes will take longer.
- This recipe calls for boiling the potatoes, then baking them. I usually do both steps in a dutch oven, because it can go from stovetop to the oven without any issues.
Nutrition
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