The Best Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes

Indisputable life fact: Everyone needs an ultra creamy, rich, buttery mashed potato recipe, and that's exactly what these brown butter mashed potatoes are. Made with a mixture of heavy cream and sour cream and then processed in a potato ricer, these mashed potatoes boast the most velvety, smoothest texture, and then we make this recipe even more delicious by giving it a flavor kick from the brown butter. Essentially, these brown butter mashed potatoes are perfection in a bowl.

I know. Perfection is a high bar, but I like to think of myself as a mashed potato connoisseur. If there's one side dish I can't get enough, it's definitely mashed potatoes.

So as someone who loves, loves her mashed potatoes, I feel confident in calling out perfect potatoes, and once you taste this recipe, I have a feeling you'll be right there with me. All right, let's start cooking.

Best Potatoes for Mashing

For the creamiest consistency, we want to use a nice and starchy potato, so you can't go wrong with russets. Yukon Gold potatoes also work well and have good flavor. Either way, you can't go wrong with the two varieties.

On the flip side, I recommend avoiding red potatoes. While I love red potatoes for roasting, they don't give us the creamy texture we want here.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Now that we have our potato variety selected, it's time to begin cooking by peeling our potatoes. I don't trust anyone who likes skins in mashed potatoes, so this step is a must for me. I mean, why? Why would you ruin a perfectly creamy bowl of mashed potatoes with skin? I don't get it, so let's do the right thing here.

With our potatoes peeled, we cut them into quarters, give them a good rinse and place in a large pot of cold water with plenty of salt. We bring the potatoes to a boil and then drop the temperature to a simmer until we can easily pierce the potatoes with a fork.

As the potatoes cook, we get busy with a little multitasking but don't worry. We're talking low-key multitasking: browning our butter and gently heating the heavy cream and sour cream together.

If you've never made brown butter, the process is easy. Just melt butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it looks golden brown and foamy like this. Pretty, huh?

For the heavy cream and sour cream, you might wonder why we even bother to heat the two. Cold cream doesn't absorb as well, and if those potatoes don't absorb that delicious cream, we won't get the perfect texture. The cream doesn't need to be screaming hot --- just warm. You could take care of this step in the microwave, but I think it's easier to simply put a small pot on the stove.

Best Potato Mashing Methods

Once our potatoes finish cooking, we're ready to mash, so let's chat mashing methods. Of course, you could use a classic potato masher, but oddly enough, that's my least favorite method. The results aren't quite as creamy as other methods.

I'm absolutely in love with my potato ricer for the job. If you've never used a potato ricer, you basically put your cooked potatoes into the chamber of this handheld device and press down to push the potatoes through these small holes. The potatoes come out light and fluffy in small pieces, making for perfectly creamy mashed potatoes. Now we pour the browned butter all over the potatoes, stir to coat and then add the warm cream mixture.

We can also use a stand or hand mixer for more of a whipped texture. Just be careful not to overmix or you'll be left with gluey potatoes.

Can You Make Ahead of Time?

Absolutely. In fact, we hosted Thanksgiving last year, and with the exception of the deep-fried turkey, I made everything ahead of time, including these brown butter mashed potatoes --- which were quite the hit. Simply cover the finished mashed potatoes, refrigerate and reheat with a little extra heavy cream to rehydrate. When reheating, you have a few options.

• Warm the mashed potatoes on the stove over low to medium-low heat. Stir every so often and add a little heavy cream to return the mashed potatoes to their original consistency.
• Spoon the refrigerated mashed potatoes into a room-temperature 9-inch-by-13-inch baking dish and pour a splash of cream on top but don't mix. If you refrigerate your mashed potatoes in the baking dish, take it out 30 minutes before putting the dish in the oven. Cover with foil and bake in a 350-degree oven until warm --- about 30 minutes. Stir to fluff up and add a little more cream if necessary to return the potatoes to your desired consistency.
• Pour a splash of heavy cream into a slow cooker, add the mashed potatoes and set to low. Stir occasionally to keep the potatoes together. Once the mashed potatoes heat through, turn to the warm setting for up to four hours. Or you could even make the mashed potatoes, immediately put them in the slow cooker, set it to warm, stir occasionally and then serve the mashed potatoes four hours later.
• Microwave the mashed potatoes in a covered dish in short intervals and stir. Keep doing this until the mashed potatoes heat through. Like the other methods, add a little heavy cream at the end.

Can You Freeze?

You bet. When I first tried freezing mashed potatoes, I have to admit that I was skeptical. I freeze a lot of leftovers, but something about frozen mashed potatoes didn't sound right to me. Usually, I don't love being wrong, but I was OK with it in this instance. Frozen mashed potatoes are still delicious, especially this particular recipe. You can thaw by placing the mashed potatoes in the refrigerator overnight or using that thaw setting on your microwave.

Perfect Pairing

When we brown butter, we get these delicious nutty notes that pair well with beers that show off a caramel-like malt. With that in mind, I recommend reaching for a Scotch ale, dunkel or dubbel. All three are delicious with these mashed potatoes and go well with big, hearty meals.

If you're in the mood for a glass of wine, you can't go wrong with a chardonnay. Those buttery notes in the chardonnay are a natural match for all the brown butter and cream. An oaked chenin blanc is another tasty option that works well with cream-based dishes.

Whether you're craving some classic comfort food or need the perfect holiday side dish, I hope you try these brown butter mashed potatoes. Please let me know how you enjoyed this brown butter mashed potatoes recipe in the comment section and don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter. You can also catch me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter.

Cheers!

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