by: Kate McMillan
Cook Time
20 minutes
Prep Time
15 minutes
Yield
8 servings
Total Time
20 minutes
Prep Time
15 minutes
Yield
8 servings
summary
Mashed potatoes, perhaps the most traditional side dish of the Thanksgiving dinner, are really a must! These are particularly delicious with the addition of mascarpone cheese which makes them extra creamy. If you don’t have mascarpone cheese, you can use cream cheese, which is very similar. Don’t skip that luxurious drizzle of olive oil at the end, which not only looks stunning but also adds a ton of flavor.
ingredients
- 3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ¾ cup whole milk
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 6 tablespoons mascarpone cheese
- 3 tablespoons snipped chives
- 1–2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
directions
- Peel potatoes and cut them into 1-inch cubes. Add them to a heavy-bottomed pan and cover by 1 inch with cold water. Add 1 tablespoon of salt and set over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until potatoes are fork-tender, 15–18 minutes. Strain well and return potatoes to the pan over medium-high heat. Allow the potatoes to cook, stirring constantly, for another minute. This will help remove all the excess cooking liquid from the potatoes.
- Turn off the heat and mash the potatoes by putting them through a ricer (and then back in the pan) or using a potato masher. Add the milk, butter and mascarpone cheese; stir until the butter and cheese are melted. Season generously with salt and pepper and transfer to a serving dish. Top mascarpone mashed potatoes with the chives and drizzle of olive oil; serve at once.
notes
You can use any potatoes you like for mashed potatoes.
Leaving skin on vs. peeling is entirely a personal preference and won’t affect the recipe.
The step of removing the excess cooking moisture after draining is important. You want the flavor of the seasoning to come through as much as possible, and excess moisture will water that flavor down.
Always start potatoes in cold water for even cooking.
Always heavily salt the water for good flavor.
Potatoes don’t have a lot of flavor on their own so it will take a good amount of fat and salt to flavor them. Taste and season several times.
It isn’t ideal to make mashed potatoes in advance, but if you need something to make early, you can rewarm these gently over medium-low heat. You will need to add more milk and butter to loosen up the potatoes.
