5 from 3 votes

Easy Cheesy Mashed Potatoes Recipe

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Creamy, fluffy, deliciously cheesy mashed potatoes make the perfect side dish for holidays and family dinners! This comfort food is ready in 30 minutes.
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
£0.90
Makes: 6
mains
British
Freezable

What’s better than a creamy, fluffy, comforting bowl of cheesy mashed potatoes? A mashed potato recipe that’s ready in 30 minutes! This delicious side dish is an elevated version of the basic recipe. With a combination of four cheeses, cream cheese, and milk, expect an uber-rich and delicious cheesy mash in every bite!

Mash potatoes with golden browned cheesy topping in a white baking dish in partial view.

Why you’ll love this recipe

  • Rich texture – This Cheesy mashed potato recipe gets its decadent consistency from cream cheese, milk, and a four-cheese blend to create a super cosy dish.
  • Tasty cheese – The combination of the four-cheese blend and cream cheese helps create even more flavour in these cheesy mashed potatoes.
  • Great accompaniment – These yummy potatoes go well with almost any lunch or dinner entrée!

Serve this delicious mash with : Slow Cooker Gammon Joint, Perfect Pan Fried Cod Recipe or Salmon Tray bake with Asparagus

Ingredients

Ingredients to make cheesy mashed potatoes laid out on a pale blue background and labelled.

Potatoes
I recommend starchy potatoes like Maris Piper, King Edwards, Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes to create the best cheesy mashed potatoes. Avoid waxy potatoes, as they crumble instead of mash.

Cream cheese
This is one recipe where you can use any kind of cream cheese – regular, low-fat, etc. All types will provide a creamy, decadent flavour and consistency. Love cream cheese? Have you tried my Easy Boursin Cheese Baked Pasta

Four cheese blend
I prefer to use a combo of mozzarella, Monterey Jack, double Gloucestershire, and Cheddar cheeses for this recipe, but you can also just stick with sharp Cheddar cheese. Or, create your own cheese blend to adjust the flavour to your liking.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Variations/ Adaptations

Make this cheese-mashed potato recipe your own with a few tweaks! Try these variations next time you make cheesy mashed potatoes:

Try different cheeses
You can use any cheese you like. Keep it simple by only adding Cheddar or tossing your favourite cheese blend on top (be sure to use freshly grated cheese, not pre-grated!).

Add toppings like bacon
Since these mashed potatoes are quite versatile, you can include other toppings if you wish. Bacon, crispy onion bits, fresh onion, sour cream, and even ranch make excellent toppings for this recipe.

Include minced garlic – Turn this recipe into garlic cheesy mashed potatoes by adding minced garlic to the dish before tossing it under the grill. This variation offers even more flavour to the recipe.

Try baking it as a casserole
If you don’t have a grill to melt the cheese, you can also bake these mashed potatoes in the oven for a few minutes. Follow the steps below to prep the potatoes. Then, preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Cook the mashed potatoes and cheese topping in a baking dish for about 15 minutes. You’ll know these  cheddar mashed potatoes are ready when the cheese is bubbling and beginning to brown.

How to make cheesy mashed potatoes

  1. Start by peeling and slicing the potatoes (Image 1).
  2. Add the potatoes to heavily salt the boiling water and boil until fork tender (approximately 15 minutes)(Image 2).
2 step by step photos, the first with potatoes sliced on a chopping board and the second with the potatoes in water in a pan.

3. Drain the potatoes and place back into the pot. Allow the potatoes to steam for a couple of minutes to allow any excess moisture to evaporate. Next, add the milk, cream cheese and salt into the pan (Image 3).

4. Using a potato masher, mash until you achieve a smooth consistency with no lumps (Image 4).

*During this time, preheat your grill to 390°F (200°C). 

2 step by step photos, the first with boiled potatoes in a large pan with some cream cheese added and the second with potatoes mashed.

5. Once smooth, add the Dijon mustard and stir to combine and taste to adjust the seasoning (Image 5).

6. Then spoon the mash into a 10 inch by 8 inch baking dish (Image 6). 

2 step by step photos, the first with smooth potatoes in a large pan with some Dijon mustard added and the second with the mashed potatoes in a rectangular white tray.

7. Use the back of your spoon to spread the mash in a rustic fashion (Image 7).

8. Top with a layer of grated cheese (Image 8).

2 step by step photos, the first with smooth potatoes in a large white baking tray and the second with yellow coloured grated cheese added to the rectangular white tray with the mash.

Pop under the grill for approx 8-10 minutes, or until melted and bubbly. Top with fresh chives and enjoy!!

Mash potatoes with golden browned cheesy topping in a white baking dish with a portion being lifted by a spoon.

Try one of my soup recipes as a starter ; Easy Bacon and Lentil Soup, Tomato & Lentil Soup and Green Chili Chicken Soup

Tips for the best result

Salt the potato water
Add salt to the water before boiling if you want the best cheesy mashed potatoes. This step will add extra flavour to the dish. For even more flavour in your buttery mashed potatoes, swap out the salt for chicken bouillon.

Pick potatoes that are about the same size
Selecting potatoes that are about the same size for these mashed potatoes with cheese helps with the boiling process. If the halves are the same size, they’ll all be done cooking at the same time. Otherwise, you may have under- or overcooked potato bits.

Steam the potatoes for a few minutes after boiling
This step ensures there isn’t extra water on the cooked potatoes, so the final product will turn out even fluffier. For this step, just add the cooked potatoes back into the pot with a lid after draining.

Here are some other side dishes to serve with the mash : The Best Roasted Parsnips, The Crispiest Halloumi Fries and Onion Gravy

Best Way To Serve Cheesy Mashed Potatoes

These delicious, cheesy mashed potatoes are great with nearly any meal—that’s what I love about this recipe! Serve these creamy mashed potatoes alongside a roast, stew, casserole, baked fish, etc. If I’m adding these to the menu for a holiday or special occasion, I will chop up some chives or fresh parsley and add it as a garnish to each serving.

How To Make Ahead, Reheat and Store

If you want to cut down on the time it takes to whip up these cheesy mashed potatoes, I recommend prepping the potatoes the day before. Once peeled and chopped, add the chopped potatoes to a bowl with cool water to prevent a change in colour. This dish is best fresh, so I wouldn’t follow any other steps until you’re ready to eat the mashed potatoes.

Should you have leftovers of these potatoes, allow them to cool fully. Then, pack the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to three days. When you’re ready to reheat the potatoes, toss them into a pan on the stove over medium heat with a dash of milk or cream. Stir the potatoes consistently until heated through, then serve.

For reheating recipes, here are some article to help : The Best Way to Reheat Chicken Wings in the Airfryer, The Best Way To Reheat Salmon and The Best Way to Reheat Baked Ziti

Mash potatoes with golden browned cheesy topping and chopped chive garnish in a white baking dish with a portion taken out.

Love potatoes? Short of time? Try my ; Frozen Jacket Potato in Air Fryer, Airfryer Frozen Fries and Airfryer Hash Browns

FAQs

How do you thin out mashed potatoes?

If your cheesy mashed potatoes are too thick, add a small amount of milk to the mixture. You can keep adding a splash of milk and mixing until the right consistency is achieved.

How can you thicken mashed potatoes?

To thicken mashed potatoes, add more cheese or cream cheese. Be sure to mix well with each bit you add.

What toppings go well on cheesy mash?

Quite a few toppings will help elevate these mashed potatoes even more, including a dollop of sour cream or an extra pat of butter. You can also add chopped fresh herbs, like parsley, scallions, or flakey sea salt.

What are the best tools for making mashed potatoes?

When learning how to make cheesy mashed potatoes, it’s necessary to have the right tools. You’ll need a large pot for boiling the potatoes, a potato masher, and a wooden spoon. For this particular recipe, you’ll also need a baking dish and a grill.

If you tried this Cheesy Potato Mash recipe, it would be mean so much to me if you could leave a review & a star rating to let me know how you found it! I love hearing about your experiences – it motivates me to keep creating more and more recipes for you guys 💛 Let’s get cooking! – Mimi x

Easy Cheesy Mashed Potatoes Recipe

Print
5 from 3 votes
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
£0.90
mains
British
Freezable
Servings: 6
Creamy, fluffy, deliciously cheesy mashed potatoes make the perfect side dish for holidays and family dinners! This comfort food is ready in 30 minutes.

Ingredients

  • 2 kg potatoes, peeled and sliced in half (£1.89)
  • 150 g cream cheese (£1.30)
  • 250 ml milk (£0.90
  • 125 g four cheese blend (£2.65/2)=(£1.32)
  • Fresh chives (optional to serve)

Cupboard Essentials

  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp salt

Method

Note: for the topping, I used a pre-made 4 cheese blend which included mozzarella, Monterey jacks, double Gloucestershire and Cheddar. You can just opt for Cheddar though if you can’t find this!

  • Start by adding your peeled and sliced potatoes to heavily salted boiling water. Boil until fork tender, for approximately 15 minutes.
  • Drain the potatoes and place back into the pot. Allow the potatoes to steam for a couple of minutes to allow any excess moisture to evaporate. During this time, preheat your grill to 390°F (200°C).
  • Next, add the milk, cream cheese and salt into the pan. Using a potato masher, mash until you achieve a smooth consistency with no lumps. Once smooth, add the Dijon mustard and stir to combine. Taste to adjust seasoning, then spoon the mash into a 10 inch by 8 inch baking dish.
  • Use the back of your spoon to spread the mash in a rustic fashion, then top with a layer of grated cheese. Pop under the grill for approx 8-10 minutes, or until melted and bubbly. Top with fresh chives and enjoy!!

Notes

  • Salt the potato water to add extra flavour; consider swapping salt for chicken bouillon or stock cube for extra taste.
  • Choose potatoes of similar sizes to ensure uniform cooking, preventing under - or overcooked potatoes.
  • After boiling, steam potatoes briefly to remove excess water, yielding fluffier mashed potatoes.

Nutrition

Servings: 6 servings
Fat: 16g
Calories: 431kcal
Carbohydrates: 57g
Protein: 15g

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