Rustic, yet refined, these fancy mashed potatoes combine creamy Yukon gold potatoes with the rich flavor of fromage blanc. More delicate than cream cheese, and just tangy enough to keep things interesting, fromage blanc is like the cheese version of an ace up your sleeve when it comes to making unusually marvelous mashed potatoes. And since this recipe calls for the baby variety of Yukon golds, with skins so tender that you needn't even bother to peel, fancy mashed potatoes are also a great choice whenever you're feeling a tad too elegant to wield a vegetable peeler.
Fancy mashed potatoes are a perfect accompaniment for dishes like Pork Tenderloin with Blueberry Sauce or Tarragon Salmon.
Ingredients for Fancy Mashed Potatoes
- baby Yukon gold potatoes
- unsalted butter
- fromage blanc style cheese
- kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
- fresh chives
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water by about 2 inches. Add one teaspoon of salt and set the saucepan over high heat.
Bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat to medium and cook until the potatoes are very tender when pierced with a fork, about 20 to 25 minutes. In the meantime, chop the chives.
Drain the potatoes and return them to the saucepan. Place the saucepan back on the stove over low heat and add the butter.
Once the melted butter has been thoroughly incorporated into the potatoes, add the fromage blanc and season the mixture with salt and pepper.
Transfer the potatoes to a serving dish.
As the butter melts into the potatoes, begin to crush them with the back of a wooden spoon.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and continue crushing the mixture with your wooden spoon until the fromage blanc has been incorporated and the potatoes have reached your desired consistency. Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary.
Garnish generously with chives.
Hint: If you can't find baby potatoes, you can of course use regular Yukon golds instead...your fancy mashed potatoes will taste just as fabulous. That said, when I am using regular potatoes for this recipe, I tend to peel them first.
Variations
- No chives? - Add a scattering of fresh chopped parsley instead.
- Enjoy a salty kick? - Add a sprinkle of parmesan along with the fromage blanc.
- Feeling extra fancy? - Add a splash of heavy whipping cream along with the butter.
Storage
Once cool, any leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. (Although fancy mashed potatoes rarely make it to the leftovers shelf.)
Top tip
Be sure to let the butter and fromage blanc come to room temperature before you begin. If these ingredients are added when they are fridge cold, it will be more difficult to properly incorporate them into the potatoes (and they will cool off your mash).
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with fancy mashed potatoes:
📖 Recipe
Fancy Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds baby Yukon gold potatoes
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
- 6 ounces fromage blanc style cheese room temperature
- kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper for seasoning to taste
- 2 tablespoons fresh chives chopped
Instructions
- Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water by about 2 inches. Add one teaspoon of salt and set the saucepan over high heat.
- Bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat to medium and cook until the potatoes are very tender when pierced with a fork, about 20 to 25 minutes. In the meantime, chop the chives.
- Drain the potatoes and return them to the saucepan. Place the saucepan back on the stove over low heat and add the butter.
- As the butter melts into the potatoes, begin to crush them with the back of a wooden spoon.
- Once the melted butter has been thoroughly incorporated into the potatoes, add the fromage blanc and season the mixture with salt and pepper.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and continue crushing the mixture with your wooden spoon until the fromage blanc has been incorporated and the potatoes have reached your desired consistency. Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary.
- Transfer the potatoes to a serving dish and garnish generously with chives.
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