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Mashed Baked Potatoes With Chives

4.5

(16)

A shallow dish of baked mashed potatoes topped with chopped chives.
Photo by Chelsie Craig

This easy recipe for baked mashed potatoes or mashed baked potatoes (either is acceptable!) delivers the most flavorful mash of all time. That intensity of flavor comes from reducing the water content of the spuds by roasting them (rather than boiling them), as well as combining two types of potatoes (earthy russets and buttery Yukon Golds).

The cook time is conveniently completely hands-off and frees up a burner (clutch when preparing Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, when stovetop space is at a premium). The recipe also saves you from having to lug a large pot of boiling water to the drain (and lowers your water footprint to boot).

But some rules of more classic mashed potato recipes still apply: Cook the potatoes until they’re fork tender, peel them after roasting for the creamiest potatoes (or leave some of the skins on if you like it more rustic), and be sure your dairy and melted butter are warm before you add them to the potatoes. Chives are the classic garnish, but thinly sliced green onions can also work. 

This recipe is best eaten the day it’s made, but you can refrigerate any leftovers and warm them up for a snack the next day. Or transform them into enriched Duchess potatoes or a cheesy mashed potato casserole.

Like many comfort foods, mashed potatoes aren’t one size fits all. If a crispy golden brown potato chip topping sounds like your vibe, try this one. Or, maybe sour cream and onion mashed potatoes enriched with heavy cream is more your speed? Whatever way you go, learn how to freeze mashed potatoes so you can make them months in advance.

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What you’ll need

Recipe information

  • Yield

    8 servings

Ingredients

2

lb. russet potatoes, scrubbed

2

lb. Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed

1

head of garlic

1

Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

6

Tbsp. unsalted butter

2

cups half-and-half, warmed

8–10

chives

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Arrange a rack in lower third of oven; preheat oven to 425°. Scrub 2 lb. russet potatoes and 2 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes and prick all over with a fork. Place on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet.

    Step 2

    Halve head of garlic crosswise (as if you’re cutting through the equator) and place on a piece of foil. Drizzle with 1 Tbsp. oil; season with salt and pepper. Fold edges of foil up and over garlic and crimp to close, creating a tight packet. Place on baking sheet with potatoes and roast until a knife slides easily through flesh of potatoes, 65–75 minutes. Let potatoes and garlic cool slightly.

    Step 3

    Halve potatoes lengthwise. Using fork, scrape flesh into a large saucepan (include skins if you want to add a little texture). Squeeze garlic cloves from skins into pan. Smash mixture with a potato masher until mostly smooth with only a few lumps.

    Step 4

    Cut 6 Tbsp. butter into ½" pieces and combine in a small saucepan with 2 cups half-and-half. Heat over medium-low, swirling, until butter melts and dairy is warm but not boiling (it can be simmering gently around the edges).

    Step 5

    Pour about half of half-and-half mixture into potato mixture, stirring with a wooden spoon until incorporated and smooth.

    Step 6

    If serving mashed potatoes immediately, stir in all of remaining half-and-half mixture and season generously with salt and pepper. If making ahead of time, stir in all but ½ cup of half-and-half mixture, season with salt and pepper, and smooth potatoes to make a flat, even surface. Pour reserved ½ cup half-and-half mixture over and don’t stir (this is to prevent the potatoes from drying out and forming a film). Cover with plastic. You can do this part up to 3 hours ahead.

    Step 7

    Thinly slice 8–10 chives.

    Step 8

    To serve, warm potatoes over low heat, stirring well with wooden spoon. At this point, if you made it ahead of time, mix in half-and-half mixture floating on top of potatoes.

    Step 9

    Transfer mashed potatoes to a platter and top with chives.



    Editor’s note: This recipe for mashed baked potatoes was first printed in our November 2017 issue. Head this way for more of our best Thanksgiving side dish recipes →

Nutrition Per Serving

Calories (kcal) 360 Fat (g) 17 Saturated Fat (g) 10 Cholesterol (mg) 45 Carbohydrates (g) 47 Dietary Fiber (g) 2 Total Sugars (g) 4 Protein (g) 7 Sodium (mg) 50
Explore Bon AppétitAmericanPotatoVegetableRusset PotatoYukon Gold PotatoFallEasySideVegetarianNut-FreeGluten-Free
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Reviews (16)

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  • It sounds like more work than the usual way to make mashed potatoes to me.

    • Anonymous

    • Florida

    • 11/21/2022

  • this was the best mashed potato recipe, I am now a mashed potato covert, but only if they have been made this way first!

    • leanna

    • mammoth lakes, ca

    • 11/13/2022

  • Baking the potatoes lends more to the depth of flavour potatoes have, which i didnt realize. Maybe i just do not bake potatoes enough to know this. It was quite good, but the part of me that grew up on boiled version of mashed potatoes was a little sad. It is a simple, great result recipe, however it takes a while for the potatoes to bake (espicially if you have a whole tray full). I used a hand mixer to get them more smooth at the end. The “floater” trick worked very well. Will keep this recipe in my back pocket for whenever i want to change things up! Thanks BA!

    • Jo Steinbarger

    • Saint Paul, MN

    • 12/8/2021

  • just ok, the potatoes cooked way too long, the garlic was hard. probably just an hour would have done the trick.

    • brushjl

    • solon, oh

    • 11/27/2020