You can just go ahead and call me the potato queen. Have Mercy! These cheddar mashed potatoes are little cloud straight from heaven. Sprinkled with fresh chives on top. Soft and fluffy mashed potatoes with deliciously mellow garlic flavor without it being the kind that’s all harsh and offensive to eat in a gathering. These potatoes are blended with cheddar cheese, softened garlic cloves, a hint of sour cream for that irresistible tang, and fresh chives on top. The ingredients are pretty straight forward but the taste is spectacular! As a foodie, this is the kind of stuff I dream about! For me to have a magic carpet ride through the sky; just grabbing a handful of these cloud-like potatoes whenever I want. My mouth is salivating at the thought. Note to self: polish off the leftovers for dinner tonight.
It’s no secret that I love taking the humble potato and turning it into all sorts of deliciousness.
What do you need to make the best cheddar mashed potatoes?
Potatoes: you can use red, Yukon, or russet potatoes for this recipe. When I first developed this recipe, I preferred it with red potatoes, but I’ve switched to russets over the years and can’t say I’ll be looking back anytime soon!Garlic cloves: you can use as little as 1 clove of as many as 4-5 for 2 lbs of potatoes! I boil the garlic with the potatoes so that the flavor really gets into the potatoes, and the boiling process cooks and mellows out the garlic! Feel free to use roasted garlic instead if you’d like. Add it in towards the end when we’re putting the mashed potatoes together!Butter: what are mashed potatoes without butter? We melt them right in with the potatoes to make them extra delicious.Sour Cream: Adds that perfect tang! You could also swap the room temperature sour cream and half and half for roughly ⅔ – 1 cup of buttermilk if you want to keep things on the lighter side!Cheddar Cheese: you can use just about any kind of cheddar you like! I prefer to use sharp white cheddar for this recipe so that the mashed potatoes maintain that beautiful white color. Yellow cheddar also works, but it does make the potatoes a bit yellow!Half and Half: You could substitute with whole milk if you didn’t want them to be too rich, but we use half and half, and it makes them so delicious!Fresh chives: we’ll garnish with chives as they add that perfect fresh, oniony flavor without it being too overpowering.
How to make the perfect cheddar mashed potatoes:
Tips for making the best mashed potatoes:
You can make cheddar mashed potatoes ahead of time. One thing I love about mashed potatoes is that they’re super forgiving! If they start to tighten up too much, when you reheat, add a splash of milk to thin them out to your preference.Don’t cut your potatoes any small than 2-inches! It’s fine if they are larger. They may require a few additional minutes or cooking time, but don’t cut them too small. More water will get into the potatoes, making them watery and flavorless at the end.Mash/rice the potatoes while they are still hot. This makes them extra creamy!Don’t add all the half and half at once! The amount of liquid you need to get your mashed potatoes to your favorite consistency can vary quite slightly from one variety of potato to the next. For this reason, I suggest adding only ⅓ cup of half and half first and then adding a splash at a time until you get to your perfect mashed potato consistency!For the best texture and flavor, combine the type of potatoes you use. You can use a 50:50 mix of Yukon Golds and Russets. The russets will provide that lusciously fluffy texture while the Golds bring on that flavor!
What to serve with homemade mashed potatoes:
Herb Roasted Thanksgiving TurkeyPerfect One Hour Whole Roasted ChickenSwedish MeatballsPesto Baked Chicken with MozzarellaCheesesteak Meatballs with Garlic Cheese SauceLemon Rosemary ChickenFrench Onion Chicken MeatballsRoasted Herb Butter Spatchcock ChickenRidiculously Tender Beef Tips with Mushroom GravyGarlic Butter Tomato Baked Chicken with MozzarellaCajun Chicken Meatballs in Tasty Cream SauceGarlic Butter Baked Chicken BreastsSkillet Chicken in Balsamic Caramelized Onion Cream Sauce
Original recipe shared Nov. 2016, updated with new pictures and text Nov. 2020
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I used a total of three cloves of garlic and it was perfect for our taste buds. For less garlicky flavor, I suggest 1-2 cloves. For LOTS go with 4-5!
