Description
French Onion Mashed Potatoes combine creamy, buttery mashed potatoes with rich, caramelized onions and melty Gruyere cheese, inspired by the flavors of classic French onion soup. This decadent side dish is the perfect upgrade for holidays, special occasions, or any time you want ultra-flavorful comfort food.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Caramelized Onions
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 sweet onions, thinly sliced
- Kosher salt, to taste
Potatoes
- 5 pounds russet or Yukon gold potatoes, washed and peeled
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 8 ounces Gruyere cheese, freshly grated
- 1 to 2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Caramelize the Onions: Heat 6 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the sliced onions with a big pinch of salt. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring often as the onions start to soften. After 10 to 15 minutes, reduce the heat to low and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the onions are deeply golden and caramelized, about 45 to 60 additional minutes. Cook longer if a deeper color and flavor is desired.
- Prepare the Potatoes: Wash, peel, and cut the potatoes into halves or quarters so all pieces are roughly the same size. If prepping ahead, cover the potatoes in ice water and refrigerate for 12 to 18 hours.
- Cook the Potatoes: Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Season the water with a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook until the potatoes are fork tender, about 12 to 15 minutes (smaller pieces may cook in 10 minutes).
- Warm the Cream and Butter: While the potatoes boil, heat 12 tablespoons butter and 1 ½ cups heavy cream in a saucepan over medium-low heat until just warmed through.
- Mash the Potatoes: Drain the cooked potatoes well, then return to the pot. Mash using a potato masher or ricer until your preferred texture is reached. Mix in half of the butter and cream mixture and 1 teaspoon salt. If you want extra smooth potatoes, briefly use a hand mixer on low, moving it around the bowl to avoid over-mixing. Add the remaining butter and cream mixture and stir in the Gruyere cheese. Mix slowly until the cheese melts.
- Add Caramelized Onions: Stir half of the caramelized onions into the mashed potatoes. Taste and season with more salt and pepper as needed, tasting frequently.
- Serve: Transfer the mashed potatoes to a serving bowl and top with the remaining caramelized onions. Enjoy warm.
Notes
- You can prepare the potatoes in advance and store them in cold water in the fridge for up to 18 hours before boiling.
- For a smaller batch (serves 4), halve the recipe ingredients.
- For a larger group (serves 12–16), double the recipe but add salt gradually and taste often.
- Don’t over-mix the potatoes to avoid a gluey texture.
- Gruyere can be substituted with Swiss cheese for a similar flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8th of recipe
- Calories: 430
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 530mg
- Fat: 27g
- Saturated Fat: 17g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0.5g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 7g
- Cholesterol: 85mg
