Cheesy Mashed Potatoes Recipe

Extra creamy mashed potatoes get an über cheesy makeover with three kinds of cheeses, are baked until hot and bubbly and served up in casserole form for the ultimate comfort food side dish. These Cheesy Mashed Potatoes are a crowd-pleaser the entire family will love, perfect for dinners, holiday gatherings, and potluck parties.

WHAT'S IN CHEESY MASHED POTATOES?

The ingredients of Cheesy Mashed Potatoes might sound somewhat self-explanatory. There are, of course, potatoes and lots (and lots) of cheese. However, you might find that one, in particular, comes as a surprise.

• Russet Potatoes
• Cheddar Cheese
• Monterrey Jack Cheese
• Cream Cheese
• Evaporated Milk
• Butter

POTATOES -- GOT A FAVE?

This recipe calls for Russet potatoes, but you can easily sub in Yukon Golds if you'd like. You just want to be sure the weight is the same (around 3 pounds) to keep the ingredient ratios consistent.

If your favorite potato happens to be red, check out our red mashed potatoes for tomorrow night's side dish.

CHEESE x3

These Cheesy Mashed Potatoes are super cheesy, and they consist of not one...not two -- but three types of cheeses. Cheddar, Monterrey Jack, and cream cheese. If you have the time, grate your own cheese for best results, but note, you can always sub in store-bought, pre-shredded cheese if needed.

Cheddar is a great melting cheese with tons of flavor and a classic pairing for potatoes. You'll find the Monterrey Jack gives you that stretchy, stringy forkful we all know and love from cheesy, baked dishes, and the cream cheese adds extra flavor and helps hold this mashed potato casserole together.

Try our Cheesy Potato Casserole for your next cheesy side dish!

THE DAIRY

And, of course, we can't have mashed potatoes without butter and milk. Which leads us to the ringer ingredient: Evaporated milk.

WHY EVAPORATED MILK?

Evaporated milk (not to be confused with sweetened condensed milk) is milk that has been through a heating process, removing about 60% of its moisture. Therefore, it is rich, thick and an overall great product for adding creaminess to recipes, as well as great dairy flavor, without all of the extra water content.

SEASONING AND FLAVOR

Salt and pepper are standard in just about every recipe and that's really all the seasoning you need for perfect Cheesy Mashed Potatoes. But, if you want to take flavors to the next level (and add a little color to the dish) don't forget the chives.

Chives are the perfect complement to potato dishes with their mild, onion-like flavor. You can find them with the fresh herbs in the produce section of your grocery store, or you could sub in dried chives from the spice aisle if you'd like. If using dried chives, use 1 teaspoon instead of 1 tablespoon.

HOW TO MAKE CHEESY MASHED POTATOES

To start your Cheesy Mashed Potatoes, cut the potatoes into 1" chunks, as close to the same size as you can get. This will help them cook at the same rate. Once the potatoes are prepped, add them to a large pot and cover with water.

1. Boil the potatoes until tender, drain, and add back to the pot.
2. Add evaporated milk, cream cheese, butter, chives (if using) and seasoning, and mix/mash until creamy.
3. Add half of the shredded cheese, stir, and add to the baking dish. Top with cheese and bake 20 minutes.

1. COOK AND DRAIN POTATOES

Place the pot over high heat and boil rapidly until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork. Once the potatoes are soft and tender, strain them. Be sure to strain them well for fluffy mashed potatoes. You don't want to add any extra water back to the pot.

2. ADD INGREDIENTS AND MASH

Once the potatoes are back in the pot, you'll add in your milk, cream cheese, butter, chives, and seasoning. Take note that your cream cheese and butter will incorporate easier if they are at room temperature.

You can mash your potatoes using either a potato masher or a handheld mixer on low. Don't crank the mixer too high, or you could end up with chewy mashed potatoes, and this is not the texture we're going for when it comes to these Cheesy Mashed Potatoes.

Mix just until the lumps have disappeared and the ingredients are evenly incorporated.

3. GET CHEESY AND BAKE

Stir in half of the shredded cheeses and transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Then, top the potatoes with even more cheese and bake until melty, bubbly, Cheesy Mashed Potato perfection.

5 MORE POTATO SIDE DISHES YOU’LL LOVE

• Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole features buttery mashed potatoes with cream cheese, crispy thick-cut, bacon, freshly grated Cheddar, and chopped green onions. The perfect make-ahead side dish casserole!
• The Best Mashed Potatoes Recipe is easier than you think! These classic mashed potatoes are made extra smooth and creamy thanks to a couple of simple ingredients, and the trick to the lightest, fluffiest potatoes ever!
• Twice-Baked Potatoes with Cheddar and Bacon are the best way to eat a loaded baked potato! Made with cream cheese, Cheddar, bacon, and chives!
• Twice-Baked Potatoes with Havarti and Dill features a new take on twice-baked potatoes, with big flavor thanks to Havarti and Dill.
• Cheesy Bacon Ranch Potatoes require no dressing and no packet! Just a little seasoning and you've got a perfect batch of crispy, oven-baked Cheesy Bacon Ranch Potatoes.

Sources: Nestle | What is Evaporated Milk?