These Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized Onions and Goat Cheese are creamy and ethereal with a hint of tanginess from goat cheese. Caramelized onions are folded into the potatoes and piled on top before serving, threading their sweetness throughout the dish. It's the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving table.
If you're looking for a way to dress up traditional mashed potatoes, you must try this dish! My recipe for Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized Onions and Goat Cheese won a recipe contest on the website Food52 for the category "Your Best Mashed Potatoes."
I take deliciously sweet caramelized onions and swirl them into fluffy mashed potatoes along with a bit of tangy goat cheese. It's a delightful combination of flavors and textures and is the perfect side dish for your holiday table!
How To Make Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized Onions and Goat Cheese
I’ve experimented with many different types of mashed potatoes, but I find that good old Russet potatoes. Their high starch content and low moisture make them ideal for creating those fluffy, creamy mashed potatoes that we all desire.
And although I’ve used everything from a food processor to a fork, my tool of choice when making mashed potatoes is a potato ricer. It gives the potatoes a light, smooth texture without any lumps. As someone on the Food52 website noted, the potato ricer is like a garlic press on steroids!
I like to dress up my mashed potatoes by stirring in some half and half (or milk). I simmer it in a saucepan with garlic and a bay leaf to infuse it with lots of flavor. Finally, I stir in my secret ingredients- caramelized onions and goat cheeses.
The sweet onions and tangy cheese weave their flavor throughout this silky, ethereal mashed potato dish.
Caramelized onions are a flavor bomb and instantly elevate any dish. They take a little time to make but are definitely worth the effort. For more information, check out my post on How To Make Caramelized Onions.
Looking for some more Thanksgiving recipe ideas? Try these dishes:
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Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized Onions and Goat Cheese
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter divided use
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1.5 pounds yellow onions (approximately 2 large onions), thinly sliced
- Kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
- 3 pounds Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1.5 cups half and half or milk
- 1 clove garlic, smashed
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 ounces goat cheese
- Black pepper
Instructions
- To make the caramelized onions, heat 2 tablespoons of butter and the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and stir them to coat with the fat. Add ¼ teaspoon salt and the sugar and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are golden brown and caramelized, about 30-40 minutes. If the onions get too dry, add a small amount of water to deglaze the pan. Set aside.
- Place the potatoes in a large pot of cold, salted water. Bring to a boil and cook until fork tender.
- While the potatoes are cooking, heat the half and half, garlic, bay leaf, and remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Drain the potatoes and return them to the hot, dry pot. Stir them over low heat for 2 minutes until they are dry. Pass the potatoes through a potato ricer or food mill into a large bowl. Gently stir in the hot cream mixture a little at a time until the potatoes are smooth and creamy (discard the garlic and bay leaf). You may not need to use all of the liquid. Set aside a small amount of the caramelized onions for garnish and stir the remaining onions into the mashed potatoes. Crumble the goat cheese into the potatoes and stir to combine well. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
- Spoon the mashed potatoes into a serving bowl and garnish with the remaining caramelized onions. Serve hot.
Linda j garvin-hunter says
Love your recipes...thank you! What are the nutritional values for these potatoes? Thank you.
Jessica Moberly says
Love this recipe. You could even pipe these potatoes onto something since you used a ricer.
French Whisk says
Oh gosh this looks delicious! Can't wait to give it a try!