Cheesy Mashed Potatoes With Roasted Nuts

The perfect side dish for the holidays, this recipe for Cheesy Mashed Potatoes uses cream cheese and mozzarella for the easiest, creamiest and cheesiest results. 

Honestly, who doesn’t love Cheesy Mashed Potatoes? The humble potato is a crowd pleaser in any form, but when mashed and mixed with milk it instantly becomes the star of any dinner. Add cream cheese and mozzarella and you have yourself a mega hit. Whether you’re making this for a weeknight dinner like our favorite Lemon Chicken Wings or a holiday celebration, it’ll be the most popular dish on the table.

How to Make Cheesy Mashed Potatoes

Mashed potatoes are super easy to make and require very little active cooking. First, you’ll need to boil the potatoes. Although there are multiple ways to do this, I find that it’s best to boil them whole rather than cut into pieces. The potatoes cook more evenly when whole, which results in a smoother texture in your mashed potatoes. You can also choose to peel the potatoes before boiling or after. Either works and this is completely up to personal preference.

When you boil the potatoes, you can also add cauliflower and mash it together with the potatoes once they’re cooked. Or try adding a few peeled garlic cloves to make cheesy garlic mashed potatoes.

What Cheese for Mashed Potatoes

My cheesy mashed potato recipe is a little unusual because it does not use butter. Instead it utilizes two types of cheese for an extra creamy texture: cream cheese and mozzarella. Make sure the potatoes are still hot when you add the cheese. This will ensure that the cheese melts and fully incorporates. In the same vein, it’s important that the milk is warm when added. The warmed milk will stop the potatoes from getting cold and will make for a smoother texture.

Another great twist to this recipe is the topping. Crumbled walnuts are sautéed in olive oil until fragrant and sprinkled on top of the finished dish. Toppings add a visually appealing touch as well as great flavor and crunch. If you want to go the extra mile, try adding cooked, chopped bacon to the nuts before sprinkling over the potatoes.

How Long Do Mashed Potatoes Keep?

Mashed potatoes will keep in an airtight container in the fridge, for up to three days. I recommend stirring in an extra splash of milk when it’s time to reheat. They can also be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to a month. When you’re ready to eat, simply leave the container in the fridge until fully thawed.

Ways to Use Up Leftover Mashed Potatoes

If you’re anything like me, it’s very unlikely that you’ll have leftovers after this dish has been on the table. But if you do, there are lots of great uses for these Cheesy Mashed Potatoes, aside from eating them straight out of the bowl.

Try using them to top mini shepherd’s pies or make super quick and easy mashed potato waffles by mixing in a little flour and some green onions. Mashed potato pancakes and croquettes are also great ways to utilize leftovers and prevent food waste. And if all else fails, try your hand at mashed potato soup.

Now that you know how to make cheesy mashed potatoes, all that’s left to do is try them! I hope you and your loved ones enjoy. Please don't forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment if you have a chance to try it!

Looking for gluten free alternatives for your Thanksgiving menu? Go check out our list of 15+ Gluten Free Thanksgiving Recipes! I'm sure you will find something for you there.

More Side Dish Ideas For Thanksgiving

• Broccoli And Cauliflower Casserole
• Cheesy Cauliflower
• Roasted Red Potatoes
• Healthy Green Bean Casserole
• Sweet Potato Gratin
• Turkish Green Beans With Tomatoes
• Whipped Butternut Squash

Thanksgiving Bread Recipes

• Savory Pumpkin Cornbread
• Easy Bread Recipe No Yeast
• Soft Roll Recipe

Cheesy Mashed Potatoes

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

Creamy and cheesy mashed potatoes that can be served everyday at dinner.

• Author: Zerrin
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings 1x
• Category: Side Dish
• Cuisine: Turkish

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 ½ pounds potatoes
• ½ cup milk, heated
• 2 ounces cream cheese
• ½ cup mozzarella, grated
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper

For topping:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ¼ cup walnuts, crumbled

Instructions

1. Place the potatoes in a large pot and pour cold water over them to cover. Bring it to boil. Let it simmer uncovered until tender, for about 20 minutes. Check tenderness with a fork or knife. Drain.
2. Peel and mash the potatoes. Add in milk, cream cheese, grated mozzarella, salt and black pepper. Stir the mixture until combined well. Depending on the type of potatoes, you might need to add extra hot milk, 1 tablespoon at a time so that it becomes as creamy as you desire.
3. For the topping, heat olive oil in a small pan and saute crumbled walnuts or any nut you like just until they start to smell, for about 5 minutes. Top mashed potatoes with roasted nuts and optionally sprinkle extra black pepper over it.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 portion
• Calories: 285
• Sugar: 3.7g
• Sodium: 332.3mg
• Fat: 14.9g
• Carbohydrates: 31.7g
• Protein: 7.5g
• Cholesterol: 11.7mg

Keywords: mashed potatoes, cheesy mashed potatoes

This post was published in 2009 and has been updated with new pictures and additional information.