These easy Cheesy Mashed Potatoes are the ultimate side dish recipe that is perfect for a family dinner or add it to your next holiday meal! The whole family is going to love all that ooey gooey, cheesy goodness!
Simple Cheesy Mashed Potatoes
During this holiday season, we highly recommend making this cheesy potato recipe! They are the perfect make-ahead potatoes that would be a delicious side dish for Thanksgiving dinner or Christmas dinner. Make with your favorite potatoes and top with as much cheese as you want. These creamy homemade mashed potatoes are quickly becoming a new family favorite recipe! And since this recipe card makes a pretty large batch of potatoes, we also go over how to store any leftovers for later. Enjoy!
Do you have a smoker? If so, have you ever tried smoked mashed potatoes!? They are amazing and a fun spin on your classic mashed potatoes.
What You Will Need
- whole potatoes – we love the flavor of Yukon gold potatoes, but any variety of fresh potatoes would work in this easy recipe.
- garlic powder, kosher salt, & black pepper – simple seasonings that are always a must when cooking potatoes.
- almond milk – we always have some on hand but any type of milk would work; other plant-based milks, whole milk, heavy cream, etc.
- butter – always love that buttery goodness! Feel free to use plant-based butter or ghee.
- plain Greek yogurt & sour cream – these combine for a creamy texture with a slight tang.
- ranch dressing – just a little bit for so much amazing flavor!
- shredded cheese – we used Colby Jack cheese, but you can use any variety of cheese! Sharp cheddar cheese, monterey jack, parmesan cheese, or others would also be delicious.
How To Make Cheesy Mashed Potatoes
The first steps to make the best mashed potatoes are to cut the whole potatoes into large, 1-inch chunks. Carefully place these potatoes cubes in a large dutch oven of boiling water and let them cook for 15-25 minutes on medium heat or until fork tender.
Drain the cooked potatoes in a colander and place the hot potatoes in a mixing bowl. Add in the rest of the ingredients, except the cheese. For best results, let it sit for just a minute or two before mixing, so the butter has a chance to soften.
Now use a potato masher, hand mixer, or stand mixer to easily mash everything together!
Then add about a half cup of your favorite shredded cheese. The potatoes should still be pretty hot, so just mix it in, and it will melt into the potatoes quickly.
Pour this potato mixture into a large baking dish and cover the top with the rest of the shredded cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated oven for 15-25 minutes.
Best Way To Serve Cheesy Mashed Potatoes
These baked cheesy mashed potatoes are delicious all on their own, but we also love to garnish them with fresh chives, bacon bits, or green onions. And since this mashed potato recipe is a holiday staple, we typically serve them with a holiday turkey (+ turkey gravy), the best stuffing, green bean casserole, and apple cranberry sauce!
Recipe FAQ
This recipe can easily be made in your crock pot and it’s a great way to keep it off the stovetop and make room for other holiday recipes. Just place the cut potatoes and 3/4 cup of chicken broth in the crockpot. Cover and let them cook on the high setting for 3-4 hours or low setting for 6-7 hours. Remove the cover, add the rest of the ingredients, and then follow the baking instructions below.
Another great way to keep the potatoes off the stove and let them cook off to the side. Just place the potatoes and enough water to cover them in the metal pot of the Instant Pot. Place the cover on top, seal, and cook on high pressure for 9 minutes. When the time is up, manually release the pressure immediately (according to manufacturer’s instructions). Drain the potatoes and return to the Instant Pot. Add the rest of the ingredients and follow the baking instructions below.
Absolutely! We love a good make-ahead potatoes recipe, especially for the holidays! Just follow the recipe card and after you cover with aluminum foil, stop, and place it in the fridge instead of the oven. Store in the fridge for 3-5 days. When you are ready to bake, let the casserole dish come to room temperature, and then bake at 350 degrees F for 15-25 minutes or until heated through.
Yes! Simply follow the instructions and after they are place in a baking dish, let them cool to room temperature. Then cover and place in the freezer to store for 2-3 months. When ready, pull them out of the freezer to thaw overnight and reheat in the oven. Part way through the reheating process in the oven, add that final topping of shredded cheese.
Made this easy recipe and loved it?! We would love it if you would take a minute and leave a star rating and review – it is also helpful if you made any substitutions or changes to the recipe to share that as well. THANK YOU!
Don’t forget to check out my Instagram and TikTok account for some behind-the-scenes action! Or give me a follow on Facebook or see what I am pinning on Pinterest!
Other Potato Recipes You Might Like
Cheesy Mashed Potatoes
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 16 servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Stove Top + Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
Cheesy Mashed Potatoes – an easy, indulgent side dish that is perfect for a Sunday Supper or the Holidays! Cheesy and packed with flavor!
Ingredients
- Approx. 4lbs Yukon gold potatoes, cut into large chunks
- 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 1/4 cup ranch dressing
- 1 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 1/2 – 2 cups colby jack cheese, freshly shredded, divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add cut up potatoes (the smaller you cut them the shorter the boil time will be) to pot of boiling water. Let boil for 15-25 minutes or until they are very tender.
- Drain potatoes and place in a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients and let the butter melt/soften for a minute or two.
- Use a potato masher to mash everything together (alternatively, you can use a hand mixer, if you prefer) until the consistency is smooth.
- Taste and adjust salt or other ingredients, as-desired.
- Fold in 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese. Pour out into a 9×13 baking pan. Sprinkle the top with the remaining shredded cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and place in the oven, middle rack, for 15-25 minutes.
- Remove and let cool slightly. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Potatoes: you can use russet potatoes, but for best results I recommend Yukon gold for their creamy texture. You can also peel your potatoes, but Yukon gold potatoes have a very thin peel that doesn’t need to be peeled!
- Dairy-Free Substitutes: you can use plant-based butter instead of regular butter, plain dairy-free yogurt instead of Greek yogurt, dairy-free sour cream instead of regular sour cream and dairy-free ranch dressing instead of regular ranch. You can also use your favorite shredded dairy-free cheese!
- Storage: leftover mashed potatoes can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up 3-4 days.
- Serving: we love serving these with our Ultimate Pork Roast Recipe + Pork Gravy + Garlic Green Beans!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6oz
- Calories: 260
- Sugar: 1.5 g
- Sodium: 373.9 mg
- Fat: 15.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 21.9 g
- Protein: 9.1 g
- Cholesterol: 42.4 mg
Leave a Rating & Comment