Name: Parmesan Mashed Potatoes
Total time: 50 min
Yield: Serves 8 to 10
Cuisine: US & Canada
Ingredients: 4 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks; 1 1/2 cups heavy cream; 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces; 2 cups grated Parmesan cheese; 1/2 cup grated Asiago cheese; 2 teaspoons salt

Why This Recipe Works

Most recipes for Parmesan mashed potatoes call for stirring grated cheese into the potatoes either before or after mashing. But these recipes produced potatoes that were thick, stodgy, and lacking any noticeable cheese flavor. We managed to get big Parmesan flavor into our Parmesan Mashed Potatoes recipe without sacrificing creamy texture by using the test kitchen’s method of heating butter and cream before adding them to the potatoes. We also added grated dairy to the heated dairy, and the resulting mash was suitably smooth and creamy. Substituting a stronger cheese—Asiago—for a small portion of the Parmesan in our recipe added subtle cheese flavor and helped accentuate the nutty Parmesan flavor in the potatoes.

Before You Begin

For the best flavor, buy wedges of Parmesan and Asiago and grate the cheeses yourself.

Instructions

Bring potatoes and enough water to cover by 1 inch to boil in large pot over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.

Heat cream, butter, cheeses, and salt in saucepan over medium heat, whisking until smooth, about 5 minutes. Keep warm.

Drain potatoes and return to pot. Stir over low heat until potatoes are thoroughly dried, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour cream mixture over potatoes and mash with potato masher until evenly incorporated and creamy. Serve.