Aged Cheddar Mashed Potatoes
Some families might have a strict “do not mess with the classics” policy for Thanksgiving, but my family luckily does not. I think the fact that I invite them over and do ALL of the cooking trumps the fact that I take some liberties with my menu.
But even if your family DOES have that policy, I think mashed potatoes and gravy from scratch are a natural place to experiment. Because no matter what you do, they are still mashed potatoes.Â
And mashed potatoes are awesome (and even leftover mashed potatoes turned into mashed potato cakes), always and forever.
So go ahead – try these Aged Cheddar Mashed Potatoes this year (or my mashed potatoes with heavy cream or blue cheese mashed potatoes).
And if your family has any complaints about you adding CHEESE to MASHED POTATOES, then you might want to look into celebrating the holiday with a different family next year.
Because, come on. Cheese makes a great thing even better! And everybody knows that cheese + potatoes are a match made in heaven, demonstrated by my baked potato pizza.
These cheese mashed potatoes are also amazing on top of mini shepherd’s pies.
After a quick 15-minute boil in salted water, baby yellow potatoes got smashed up and combined with some half-and-half, butter and aged Cheddar cheese for a gourmet twist on a classic Thanksgiving side dish.
Aged Cheddar Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 pounds baby yellow potatoes
- 6 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 1-1/2 cups grated aged Cheddar cheese
- ½ cup half-and-half
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
- Pinch of nutmeg
- Finely chopped fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Place potatoes in large pot and cover with cold water. Heat to boiling over medium-high heat. Add 5 teaspoons salt; reduce heat to medium-low and cook 15 minutes or until potatoes are very tender. Drain.
- Place potatoes in large bowl and smash with potato masher. Add cheese, half-and-half, butter, pepper, nutmeg, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt; smash until well combined. Transfer to serving bowl and serve garnished with parsley, if desired.
Epic Thanksgiving Recipe Schedule:
- Sunday, October 30th: Thanksgiving Recipes Master List
- Monday, October 31st: Apple, Bacon + Fennel Stuffing
- Thursday, November 3rd: Aged Cheddar Mashed Potatoes
- Monday, November 7th: Cajun Turkey with Orange-Oregano Gravy
- Monday, November 14th: Sautéed Green Beans with Tomatoes + Crispy Parmesan
- Thursday, November 17th: Hard Cider Cranberry Sauce
- Sunday, November 20th: Cocktail Hour! Roasted Campari Bloody Mary
Other Thanksgiving Ideas:
- Cranberry-Vanilla Gin Spritzer
- Autumn Cheese Board
- Butternut Squash and Pomegranate Crostini with Whipped Feta & Honey
- Roasted Turkey with Bourbon Apricot Glaze
- Maple Bourbon Glaze for Turkey
- Fruit & Nut Brussels Sprout Slaw
- Corn Casserole with Cheese
- Bread Stuffing Recipe
- Lemon & Maple Glazed Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Twice Baked Potato Casserole
- Thanksgiving Rice Recipe
- Roasted Acorn Squash with Pomegranate & Parsley
- Spiced Sweet Potato Rolls with Bourbon Honey Butter
- Cranberry Curd Tart Recipe
Prep-Ahead Strategy:
Use Those Leftovers:
- Thanksgiving Leftover Waffles
- Turkey Noodle Soup Recipe
- Use up leftover mashed potatoes in a Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole!
- Ham and Potato Soup, if you also made a ham for Thanksgiving and have leftovers
Making one of these recipes? Please let me know by sharing a photo on social media with the hashtag #FLLEpicThanksgiving!
I’m so thankful for each and every person that stops by this blog, whether it’s once in awhile or every day. This little corner of the internet has allowed me to change my life and create a career path for myself that brings me so much joy. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.
Mashed potatoes with cheese and butter is absolutely irresistible delicious dish. This is amazing , sounds flavorful.
Thank you so much, Sabrina!
This looks so creamy and comforting!
Thanks Gina!
These photos are so beautiful! And adding cheese to potatoes, YES please!
Thank you so much, Fabiola!
This is PERFECTION! Â Gorgeous potatoes!
Thanks Jenny!
Mashed potatoes make the holiday meal! Doesn’t hurt when there is a stick of butter and cheese in them. 🙂
You GOTTA have that stick of butter and cheese! hahaha.
Oh my gosh. These photos are insanely gorg – I did NOT think mashed potatoes could be so pretty!
And aged cheese is my life. So these are speaking my langauge!
Thank you so much, Taylor. It means a lot, since your photos are so ridiculously beautiful!
Well that’s the way to do it! So  much more interesting than regular mashed.
Thanks Carolyn!