by: Dan Pelosi
Cook Time
30 minutes
Prep Time
15 minutes
Yield
6–8 servings
@grossypelosi
“There’s nothing you can throw at a mashed potato that it can’t accept.”
Total Time
30 minutes
Prep Time
15 minutes
Yield
6–8 servings
summary
This indulgent recipe for cheesy mashed potatoes is inspired by cheddar and bacon potato skins.
ingredients
- 5 pounds russet potatoes
- 1 tablespoon plus 2¼ teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed
- ½ pound bacon
- 8 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- ½ cup minced fresh chives
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1 cup sour cream, at room temperature
- 1 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
directions
- Place your bacon strips on a foil-lined basket in an air fryer. Cook the bacon in the air fryer at 400°F for 10–12 minutes, until extra crispy. Place the bacon strips on paper towels to soak up the grease. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, scrub and dry the potatoes thoroughly. Peel four of the potatoes in long strips, reserving the peels in a small bowl. Peel the remaining potatoes, discarding the peels.
- Cut all the potatoes in 1-inch cubes and add to a large pot. Fill with enough cold water to completely submerge, and add 1 tablespoon of salt. Set over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 10–15 minutes, until a knife easily slides in and out of the potatoes.
- While the potatoes are simmering, combine the cream and garlic in a small saucepan and set over low heat to warm.
- Next, take the reserved peels in the small bowl and toss with ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt and vegetable oil. Spread the peels out on the basket in the air fryer. Transfer to the air fryer at 400°F for 6–8 minutes, until the peels are crispy. Remove the peels from the basket and set aside on a cutting board.
- Line the air fryer basket with parchment paper and form 9 small piles out of the shredded cheese. Place in the air fryer at 400°F for 6–7 minutes, until the cheese is very crispy. Remove the basket and set aside to cool.
- When the potatoes are soft, drain thoroughly and return to the pot. Pour in the cream and garlic and add the sour cream and butter pieces. Mash the potatoes and garlic until mostly smooth with some small clumps. Add the pepper, 6 tablespoons of chives and remaining 2 teaspoons of salt, and use a rubber spatula to fold until combined. Taste for seasoning. Use the spatula to transfer the mashed potatoes to a serving bowl.
- Place the bacon, potato skins and cheddar crisps on a cutting board and chop them with a knife or break them by hand into small pieces into a bowl, mixing gently. Sprinkle the crispy mix over the top of the mashed potatoes along with 2 tablespoons of chives just before serving.
notes
- Start potatoes in cold water. This allows the outside and inside of the potatoes to cook at the same rate. If you drop them into boiling water, the outside will cook faster than the inside.
- When adding to mashed potatoes, cream is always warm, butter is always cold. The cream needs to be warm so it does not drop the temperature of the potatoes when you add it to the pan. Butter should be cold so that it melts without separating. If the butter separates, the potatoes will be greasy.
- Mash potatoes by hand, not with an electric mixer. Mashing potatoes with an electric mixer over-activates the starch in the potatoes, causing them to be glue-like and gummy. Mashing by hand is much gentler on the potatoes.
- Make ahead. Keep your mashed potatoes warm in a 200°F oven in an oven-to-table serving bowl. Before serving, top with your crispy mix.
