In addition to its delicious buttery flavor and creamy texture, this Creamy Cheesy Mashed Potatoes Recipe is loaded with flavor and is so easy to make! Mashed potatoes are the ultimate side dish for weeknight dinners, a holiday meal, or any special occasion!
If you love this cheesy potatoes recipe, you'll love my Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes and Blue Cheese Mashed Potatoes !
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I think that I speak for everyone when I say that I LOVE a potato. It can be baked, fried, crispy, creamy - whatever. I've never met a potato I didn't like and this easy recipe for is no different!
You've got fluffy potatoes with melty cheese, garlic, and fresh herbs mixed in with plenty of butter and love.
The potatoes are boiled in chicken bouillon (which is my trick to adding tons of amazing flavor to every bite. I also do this with my mac and cheese - but don't tell anyone shh!) and then mashed with fresh herbs, parmesan cheese, and cheddar cheese. Oh, and butter too of course. Who doesn't love creamy homemade mashed potatoes?
Your holiday menu is incomplete without this cheesy mashed potato recipe!
Why You'll Love this Recipe
- Great base for meals! Start your meal with mashed potatoes, and you can layer on any sort of meat and sauce. It's the perfect side dish and the ultimate comfort food!
- Easy to customize. Feel free to swap out the cheese to whatever you love or have in the fridge.
- Super flavorful! Fresh herbs, cheese, and freshly diced garlic are SO delicious together! That cheesy garlic goodness makes these the BEST mashed potatoes!
Cheesy Mashed Potato Ingredients
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Potatoes - Reach for Russet or Idaho potatoes. These have a high starch content so they will soak up all that amazing milk, butter, and cheese to be super creamy and fluffy.
Bouillon Base - I love to keep Better Than Bouillon in the fridge. It lasts a lot longer than a carton of broth, and is so easy to use in boiling water.
Cheeses - we're using parmesano reggiano and sharp cheddar cheese.
Butter - A whole stick jumps right on in the pot! You can't beat the flavor of golden butter. You can use salted or unsalted butter, just be aware when you are adding salt to the finished product that you'll need to adjust.
Fresh ingredients - we're using fresh garlic cloves, fresh rosemary, chives, and thyme. I prefer to buy fresh ingredients as they impart better flavor.
Pro Tips
- Peel the potatoes first. While peels have their place, such as in crispy or baked, potatoes, these creamy mashed potatoes are best without them.
- Don't use pre shredded cheese! Buy the block of a
Use a potato ricer instead of a potato masher for super creamy mashed potatoes!
- Select a high quality butter. Since this is a star player in the finished dish, make sure you select a butter you enjoy the flavor of on its own.
- Best served hot! As the potatoes cool, the cheese will harden a bit. These are best served warm or hot.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Wash, peel, and chop the potatoes into chunks. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the chicken bouillon paste.
- Boil until the potatoes are fork tender. Drain and return to the pot.
- Add in the butter, garlic, herbs, and grated cheeses. Mash well to combine. When cheese melts, add in the whole milk. Taste and season as desired with black pepper and kosher salt. Top with fresh chives or green onions.
What to Serve with Mashed Potatoes
Mashed potatoes love to soak up gravy, so serve them up with Herb Roasted Turkey or Salisbury Steak. Another really classic pairing would be Osso Buco or Pot Roast, and of course Pork Chops!
Storing Leftovers
Mashed potatoes are great leftover! Simply store in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. They will stiffen up some once cold, but you can easily reheat on the stove or in the microwave.
Pro tip: splash in a bit of milk into the potatoes to help loosen them back up.
Recipe FAQs
Stick with Idaho or Russet potatoes for their high starch content. You can also use Yukon gold potatoes, which have less starch but are very creamy and buttery. I don't recommend using red skinned potatoes as they can sometimes turn gluey when mixed too much. And we need to mix a fair bit to melt the cheese in!
I paired cheddar and Parmesan (not from the can!) for two classic favorites. You can use really any cheese here. I suggest sticking with strong flavors so they bring their flavor to the potatoes rather than getting lost. If you like eating the cheese alone, then you will enjoy it in the potatoes as well.
You can cut the potatoes however you like. If you have small potatoes, some people even leave them whole after peeling. The real key to smooth potatoes is making sure they are all chopped to roughly the same size. This way they will all cook evenly, and allow you to easily mash them smooth.
More Potato Recipes
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Cheesy Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 3 lbs potatoes
- 2 teaspoons Chicken bouillon base/paste
- 4 cloves Garlic
- ½ cup Butter
- 2 sprigs Rosemary
- 1 sprig thyme
- 3 tablespoons Chives
- 4 oz cheddar cheese shredded
- 4 oz Parmesan shredded
- ¾ cup milk
Directions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. I recommend using a 5 quart pot and adding at least 2 inches of water. Once the water is boiling, add chicken bouillon base.
- Rinse, peel potatoes, and cut into chunks and add to the boiling water. Boil until the potatoes are fork tender.
- Drain the potatoes and place back into the pot. Add garlic, butter, rosemary, thyme, chives, cheddar cheese, parmesan cheese, and milk. Mash everything together and add more milk as desired for a looser consistency.
Notes
- Don't add the milk all at once in case you don't need it all. You can always add more to loosen up the texture but you can't take it back out.
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