Perfect Cheesy Mashed Potatoes

The secret to perfect creamy, mashed potatoes (no lumps!) is a combination of using the right kind of potatoes and the right tools. And lots of cream and butter. For a cheesy version, we include lots of cheddar cheese.

For a big dinner, such as Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter, make them ahead and freeze them!

Jump to Recipe

Jump to:

• ❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
• 🧅 Ingredients + Notes
• 🔪 Recommended Equipment
• 📝 Instructions Overview
• 👩‍🍳 Preparation Tips
• 💡Ideas for Possible Variations
• 📇 More Mashed Recipes
• Fail-Proof Cheesy Mashed Potatoes (Recipe)

I've made mashed potatoes dozens of times and somehow always find a little lump or two. Or 50. Or 500. I needed (desperately) a fail-proof way to make perfect mashed potatoes.

And because my family LOVES cheese, I needed a recipe for perfect cheesy mashed potatoes.

❤️ Why you'll love this recipe

• It's guaranteed lump-free!
• You don't have to peel the potatoes first. The potato ricer removes them in one easy step.
• Make it your own by using a different cheese, such as a truffled goat cheese.

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📝 Instructions Overview

Detailed instructions for making these cheesy mashed potatoes are in the recipe card below, but here's an overview!

Step 1

Cook the potatoes. Simmer the potatoes (unpeeled) in well-salted water until tender.

Step 2

Warm up the cream. Warm the butter and cream together until the butter is melted. Stir in the salt and pepper

Step 3

Rice the potatoes. Push the potatoes through a ricer into the pot of cream and butter. The skins will slough off in the the ricer. Discard.

Step 4

Add cheese. Stir in the cheese with a wooden or large metal spoon. Allow the cheese to melt, stirring only occasionally. There's no need to use a mixer.

Step 5

Serve. Serve warm with a flourish of freshly ground pepper and a little parsley, if desired.

👩‍🍳 Preparation Tips

Never ever use a food processor to make mashed potatoes. The starch in the potatoes turns to glue.

I've used a mixer with decent results, but if potatoes are mixed at too high a speed for too long, the potatoes become glue-y. And I often have a few small lumps.

The potato ricer easily prevents lumps in mashed potatoes, and serves to remove the skins all that the same time.

💡Ideas for Possible Variations

• Any melty cheese works in these potatoes. Another cheese I've used is Monterey Jack and Pepper Jack cheeses. Truffled goat cheese is another big winner with these potatoes.
• I've made some great mashed potatoes by combining Yukons and russet potatoes, but I recommend the mix includes more Yukons than russets to keep the mashed potatoes creamy.
• Need a vegan recipe? Here's a great recipe for vegan mashed potatoes without vegan butter that needs only 3 ingredients.
• If you love cheese too, another way to make cheesy mashed potatoes is as a mashed potato casserole. This recipe has bacon but just substitute vegan bacon.

📇 More Mashed Recipes

Miso Mashed Potato Stuffed Mushrooms

Mashed Celery Root with Blue Cheese and Watercress

Colcannon (Irish Mashed Potatoes)