My cheesy mashed potatoes recipe is creamy, buttery, and oh-so-delicious.
It is loaded with two types of cheese that makes the perfect side dish for holiday meals, dinner parties, or weeknight dinners.
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When it comes to comfort food, mashed potatoes have to be at the top of my list. Add sharp cheddar cheese, Gruyere, and tangy sour cream, and you’ve elevated everyone’s favorite side to a new level of deliciousness!
Made with simple ingredients, our creamy, cheesy mashed potatoes are the ultimate comfort food. They take minutes to make and are the perfect side dish for many of your favorite meals.
You can use a potato masher for a more rustic appearance and mouthfeel or an electric hand mixer (or potato ricer) to create silky, smooth mashed potatoes. It’s all a matter of personal preference.
If you love potato dishes, try our potatoes au gratin and slow cooker loaded potato soup recipes.
Ingredients
Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make our easy recipe. In Chef Speak, this is called the Mise en Place, which translates into Everything in its Place.
Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed the cooking process, but it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.
What Type of Potatoes Should I Use?
Yukon Golds are the best potatoes for mashed potato recipes. They have a creamy texture that you won’t find in other varieties and make the best mashed potatoes.
That being said, russet potatoes are also an excellent choice. They break down easily and absorb dairy well, resulting in a fluffy, creamy texture.
Avoid waxy potatoes like red potatoes, fingerling, or new potatoes because they don’t break down as well and don’t absorb dairy products very well.
How to Make Cheesy Mashed Potatoes
Follow along with my simple directions below to see how to make cheesy mashed potatoes in your own kitchen.
- Wash the potatoes to remove any dirt or debris. Then, peel the potatoes to remove the skins.
*You can leave some or all of the skins on the potatoes for a more rustic look and taste. - Cut the potatoes in half and then half again two more times.
*The pieces should be close to the same size so they cook evenly. - Place the cut potatoes in a large pot, filling the pot with cold water.
- Drain the water and fill the pot back up to one inch above the cut potatoes with cold water so they are fully submerged.
*Add half a teaspoon of salt to the water before cooking the potatoes.
- Place the large saucepan on the stovetop over medium-high heat and add the potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook for 10-15 minutes until fork-tender.
*Depending on the size of the potato chunks, cooking times will vary. - Carefully drain the water, remove the cooked potatoes from the pot, and place them in a large bowl.
- Add the unsalted butter, room-temperature sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, and shredded gruyere cheese to the bowl. Fold the ingredients together to combine.
- Add the salt, black pepper, and garlic powder to the mixing bowl. Using an electric hand mixer or potato masher, mix the ingredients until smooth and fluffy.
- Add hot whole milk (or heavy cream) as needed to get the potatoes to the desired consistency.
- Taste and re-season as needed.
*Be careful not to over whip the potatoes, it will not make them creamier, it will make them starchy and turn from fluffy to gummy.
Serve this delicious recipe with plenty of butter and garnish with chopped parsley, sliced green onions, or fresh chives.
If you want to make the potatoes ahead of time, place them in a casserole dish, and when ready to serve, bake them for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees (or until an internal temperature of 165 degrees has been reached). Add a sprinkle of shredded cheese to the top during the last five minutes of the baking process to make the dish more festive.
Leftovers should be stored refrigerated in an airtight container or well-sealed with plastic wrap or aluminum foil for 3-4 days. They can also be stored in a freezer-safe container for up to two months.
Recipe FAQs
Absolutely. I love the combination of extra-sharp white cheddar cheese and Gruyere, but you can use any type of cheddar cheese you prefer. Jarlsberg, fontina, Gouda, and Monterey Jack are also good choices.
You can also use cream cheese, goat cheese, parmesan cheese, or any full-fat cheese you enjoy.
I would not use mozzarella or any cheese that is too flavorful, although a little bleu cheese or Gorgonzola can add a delightful flavor to the mashed potatoes.
Warm dairy products are absorbed faster and more easily than cold butter or cold milk. This helps create smoother and creamier mashed potatoes.
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Easy Cheesy Mashed Potatoes Recipe
Ingredients
- 2-2.5 lbs Yukon gold potatoes peeled and cut into pieces (russets are also a good choice).
- ½ cup sour cream or whole milk – room temperature
- 4 tablespoon unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 1 ½ cups extra sharp white cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 ½ cups gruyere cheese shredded
- ½ – 1 teaspoon salt to taste start with ½ teaspoon and adjust to taste
- ¼ – ½ teaspoon black pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder optional
- ¼ cup whole milk more or less as needed to get the potatoes to the desired consistency.
Instructions
- Wash the potatoes to remove any dirt or debris. Then peel the potatoes to remove the skins.*You can leave some of the skin or all of the skins on the potatoes for a more rustic look and taste.
- Cut the potatoes in half and then half again two more times.*The pieces should be close to the same size so they cook evenly.
- Place the cut potatoes in a large pot, filling the pot with cold water.Drain the water and fill the pot back up to one inch above the cut potatoes with cold water so they are fully submerged.
- Add a half a teaspoon of salt to the water before cooking the potatoes.
- Place the saucepan on the stove top over medium high heat and let the potatoes come to a boil.
- Cook the potatoes for 10-15 minutes until they are fork-tender.*Depending on the size of the potato chunks cooking times will vary.
- Carefully drain the water and remove the potatoes from the pot and place them in a large mixing bowl.
- Add the unsalted butter, sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, and shredded gruyere cheese to the bowl. Fold the ingredients together to combine.
- Add the seasonings to the mixing bowl and using an electric hand mixer or potato masher, mix the ingredients together until they're smooth and fluffy.*Add milk as needed to get the potatoes to the desired consistency.
- Taste and re-season with salt and black pepper as needed. *Be careful not to over whip the potatoes, it will not make them creamier, it will make them starchy and turn from fluffy to gummy.
- Top the potatoes with a pat of butter and serve.
Henry T says
So good not too cheesy just enough flavor and creaminess. While it was great without it, I ended up adding the garlic powder for a little spunk. Thank you!
Chef Dennis Littley says
I love cheesy mashed potatoes and I’m happy to hear you enjoyed them too! The garlic powder was a good addition.