Mascarpone Mashed Potatoes with Chives (Fluffy Mashed Potatoes!)
Creamy mashed potatoes are taken up a notch with the addition of mascarpone cheese and chopped chives. These Mascarpone Mashed Potatoes are perfect for busy weeknight dinners as well as holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas because they can be prepared in advance and reheated just before serving!
Skip the Sour Cream and Use Mascarpone Instead!
Rather than the usual sour cream, this ultra creamy mashed potatoes recipe is made with mascarpone cheese. The rich, buttery Italian cheese makes mashed potatoes taste even more luxurious without having to add tons of extra butter, and the resulting flavor is super smooth rather than tangy.
Here’s why else my family loves this recipe:
✔ Quick and Easy: Once the potatoes have finished boiling, the potatoes take less than 15 minutes to season and mash.
✔ Make-Ahead Friendly: You can make a big batch of these mascarpone cheese mashed potatoes a day or two in advance and then reheat in the oven.
✔ Super Creamy: Mascarpone cheese is usually around 40% fat, which translates to the richest, creamiest mashed potatoes EVER. I also opted to pass the potatoes through a potato ricer to give them an almost whipped texture.
I originally shared this recipe back in 2011 after spying it in Sunset Magazine at the doctor’s office. I’ve made several tweaks to the original recipe over the past 15 years, but it’s still one of my go-tos around the holidays! And yay, new photos!
Enjoy!
-Katie
A Few Tools You’ll Need
Mashed potatoes are a cinch to make and don’t require any special ingredients or tools, but there are a few pieces of equipment I prefer using for this particular recipe.
- Vegetable Peeler — I strongly suggest peeling your potatoes before boiling them. You’ll wind up with much smoother mashed potatoes this way.
- Strainer — Makes it easier to drain the potatoes once they’re done boiling (otherwise when you use the lid to strain out the water, you can sometimes make a mess).
- Potato Ricer — This is my hack for making the fluffiest mashed potatoes ever! I have the OXO Good Grips Potato Ricer and it’s lasted for years.
- Baking Dish — This recipe has you bake the potatoes after mashing to heat them through.
The Main Ingredients
A full list of ingredients plus their measurements can be found in the recipe card below. Here are the main ingredients you’ll need to have on hand for making mashed potatoes with mascarpone.
- Potatoes — Russet potatoes are the superior potato when it comes to mashed potatoes! They’re super starchy, but they break down easily and absorb the mascarpone and milk well. This results in light and fluffy mashed potatoes rather than gluey, heavy mashed potatoes.
- Bay Leaves — If you add a bay leaf to the pot of boiling water, you’ll season the potatoes more effectively from the inside out!
- Whole Milk — If you want rich and creamy mascarpone chive mashed potatoes, you’ve got to use full-fat fairy products.
- Broth — Mascarpone is super thick and creamy, and the broth helps to thin it out without diluting the flavor. (Don’t use milk instead of broth or else your mashed potatoes will be too thick.)
- Mascarpone Cheese — This is a super soft, rich, and buttery Italian cheese that’s sold in a tub. Please, please, please use full-fat and nothing “lite.”
- Butter — Since we’re already using mascarpone, only 2 tablespoons of butter are needed for flavor.
- Chives — I snipped the chives straight into the potato mixture using my kitchen shears.
Here’s How to Make Mashed Potatoes with Mascarpone
The below is simply a quick summary of this recipe. Check out the full recipe in the free printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for all the detailed instructions.
- Boil the potatoes until fork tender. Bring the water up to a boil after adding the potatoes so they cook evenly from the inside out.
- Drain, then rice. While the potatoes are still hot, pass them through a potato ricer to give them a ridiculously fluffy texture.
- Combine with the dairy products and broth. I like to whisk together the milk, broth, mascarpone, and melted butter beforehand so the riced potatoes don’t get overmixed once they’re added.
- Bake to heat through. Be sure to cover the mashed potatoes with foil so they don’t dry out. Once warm, stir in the chives and serve!
Katie’s Tip: To prevent your mashed potatoes from turning gloopy or gluey, bring the milk and mascarpone cheese to room temperature before mixing them into the hot riced potatoes.
Make-Ahead and Reheating Instructions
These mascarpone chive mashed potatoes can be made up to 48 hours in advance.
Follow the recipe steps up until you’re supposed to bake the mashed potatoes. At that point, cover the baking pan tightly with foil and refrigerate.
To reheat: Pop the covered baking dish into a 350ºF oven and bake until warm (20 to 30 minutes). At the halfway point, carefully remove the foil, stir, cover, and continue heating until warmed all the way through. The exact timing will depend on the quantity of mashed potatoes you’re reheating.
How to Keep Them Warm Until You’re Ready to Serve
- Slow cooker option: Transfer the mashed potatoes to a slow cooker set to “warm” or “low” to keep them warm for several hours.
- Oven option: Wrap the baking dish tightly in foil and place in a 200ºF oven to keep warm.
How to Freeze These for Later
- Let the mashed potatoes cool completely.
- Transfer to freezer bags or freezer-safe containers. Seal.
- Label, date, and freeze for up to 3 months.
- To reheat, thaw the mashed potatoes in the fridge the night before, then reheat in the oven as instructed above.
Serving Suggestions
Mascarpone mashed potatoes are simple enough to prepare on busy weeknights, but decadent enough to serve at Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter.
We love pairing these mashed potatoes with the following dishes:
Holiday Entrees: Apple Cider Roasted Turkey, Slow Cooker Spiral Ham, Smoked Turkey Breast, Smoked Prime Rib
Weeknight Entrees: Pork Marsala, Smoked Pork Shoulder, Instant Pot Chuck Roast, Sous Vide Steak, Whole Citrus Roasted Chicken
Side Dishes: Apple Cider Roasted Acorn Squash, Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Sweet Potatoes, Cranberry Bacon Green Beans, and Massaged Kale Salad with Roasted Squash
Don’t see what you’re looking for here? You can always head over to check out the recipe index to look for more recipes.
More Easy Mashed Potato Recipes:
If you’re looking for additional mashed potato inspiration for your Thanksgiving Menu this year, here are a few other favorite recipes. Be sure to check out the whole Thanksgiving Recipes Archive if you need help building the rest of your menu.
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Mascarpone Mashed Potatoes Recipe
Creamy mashed potatoes are taken up a notch with the addition of mascarpone and chopped chives. Serve these Mascarpone Mashed Potatoes at Thanksgiving or Christmas!
Ingredients
- 3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut in chunks
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 6 ounces mascarpone cheese, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- kosher salt, to taste
- 1/2 bunch chives (1/2 inch diameter), snipped
Instructions
- Add potatoes, bay leaves, and 1 teaspoon of salt to a stockpot with hot water.
- Bring to a boil, then lower to simmer and allow to cook until very tender, approximately 20-30 minutes.
- While the potatoes cook, whisk together the milk, chicken broth, mascarpone, and butter in a oven-safe bowl that is large enough to add the potatoes to. Stir in the pepper.
- Once potatoes are tender, drain the water and discard the pay leaves.
- Press potatoes through a potato ricer (I use the OXO Good Grips Potato Ricer) and into the bowl with the mascarpone mixture. Stir to combine.
- Taste for seasonings and add salt, if desired.
- Bake covered with foil in a 350ºF oven until heated through, then stir in the chives.
Notes
Can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours before baking.
Cream cheese may be substituted for the mascarpone.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 403Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 53mgSodium: 338mgCarbohydrates: 52gFiber: 5gSugar: 5gProtein: 9g
GoodLifeEats.com offers recipe nutritional information as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although GoodLifeEats.com makes every effort to provide accurate information, these figures are only estimates.
Pam says
Marscopone cheese is a new one to me, but i have to say it sounds delicious. Thanks for the suggestion.
Donna B. says
Classic Baked Macaroni and Cheese (from my Fannie Farmer cookbook) – I have to make it for every holiday.
Ingredients:
1 (16 ounce) package macaroni
8 tablespoons butter
8 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
2 cups cream
1 teaspoon salt
2 to taste fresh ground black pepper, to taste
4 cups cheddar cheese, shredded good quality
1 cup breadcrumbs, buttered
1 teaspoon paprika (my addition)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Cook and drain macaroni according to package directions just shy of al dente (it will continue to cook once you bake it); set aside.
In a large saucepan melt butter. Add flour mixed with salt and pepper, using a whisk to stir until well blended. Pour milk and cream in gradually; stirring constantly. Bring to boiling point and boil 2 minutes (stirring constantly).
Reduce heat and cook (stirring constantly) 10 minutes.
Add shredded cheddar little by little and simmer an additional 5 minutes, or until cheese melts. Turn off burner.
Add macaroni to the saucepan and toss to coat with the cheese sauce. Transfer macaroni to a buttered baking dish. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs, then sprinkle with paprika.
Bake 20 minutes until the top is golden brown.
Tracy says
I love this idea to spice up mashed potatoes a bit. They look lovely with those flecks of chives, too!
Ellen says
These look absolutely amazing! I can’t wait to try them.
Ellen
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