The impossibly creamy texture of these mashed potatoes is a credit to choosing the right guy for the job: the German Butterball. (We tested 10 contenders—it was the butteriest in flavor, and fluffiest when mashed.) Plus, roasting them first helps concentrate their flavor. On the continuum from slightly textured to exquisitely satiny spuds, use a potato masher (rustic, but fine!), ricer (nicer!), or food mill fitted with the finest disk (woooow!). A smoky breadcrumb and-potato-chip topping, inspired by the flavors of patatas bravas, brings something new to the table. See all of the Absolutely, Positively Perfect Thanksgiving recipes here.
Recipe information
Yield
8–10 servings
Ingredients
Potatoes
4
1
5
2
1¼
4
1
1
Assembly
2
2
4
3
1
⅓
Preparation
Potatoes
Step 1
Preheat oven to 400°. If using German Butterballs, place potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet or in a cast-iron skillet and roast, turning halfway through, until very tender (a paring knife inserted into the center should meet with no resistance), 45–50 minutes.
Step 2
If using Yukon Golds, place on a rimmed baking sheet or in a large baking dish and cover tightly with foil. Roast until very tender, 80–95 minutes.
Step 3
Meanwhile, remove 4 garlic cloves from garlic head and set aside for the topping. Cut remaining head of garlic in half crosswise and place in a medium saucepan with thyme, peppercorns, butter, 4 cups milk, and 1 Tbsp. salt.
Step 4
Using a vegetable peeler, remove wide strips of zest from half of lemon and add to pot; set lemon aside for the topping. Bring mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Immediately remove from heat, cover, and let sit at least 30 minutes.
Step 5
When potatoes are done, use a paring knife to remove skins (it’s important to do this while they are very hot; hold them in a kitchen towel to protect your hands), then pass them through a ricer or food mill fitted with the fine disk into a large pot (or simply mash them in the pot with a potato masher).
Step 6
Return garlic mixture to a simmer, then pour through a fine-mesh sieve into pot with potatoes; discard solids. Set potato mixture over medium heat and whisk until liquid is incorporated and potatoes are very smooth and bubbling. Taste and season with more salt if needed. Cover and keep warm until ready to serve.
Step 7
Do Ahead: Potatoes can be made 2 days ahead. Transfer to an airtight container and let cool. Cover and chill. Reheat over medium, whisking constantly and loosening with more milk if needed.
Assembly
Step 8
Pulse reserved 4 garlic cloves in a food processor until finely chopped, about 15 seconds. Add bread and potato chips and process in long pulses until coarse crumbs form, about 1 minute.
Step 9
Heat butter in a large ovenproof skillet over medium until foaming. Add breadcrumb mixture and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until mixture is coated in butter and fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer skillet to oven; bake, tossing every 5 minutes, until crumbs and chips are evenly dark golden brown, 15–20 minutes.
Step 10
Meanwhile, finely grate remaining lemon zest from reserved lemon into a small bowl. Add thyme leaves and paprika and toss to combine.
Step 11
Remove crumb mixture from oven and immediately toss in thyme mixture. Taste and season with more salt if needed. Let topping cool in pan, then add parsley.
Step 12
To serve, transfer mashed potatoes to a large bowl and sprinkle topping over.
Step 13
Do Ahead: Topping (without parsley) can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.
How would you rate Mashed Potatoes With Crispety Cruncheties?
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Reviews (93)
Back to TopI followed the recipe very closely, but in so doing I think I must've over cooked the potatoes in the oven. I used Yukon Gold. My advice would be to check before the full 80 minutes is up. I was left with some very hard bits of potato which left my mashed potatoes with a chunky rice-like texture. They were definitely NOT underdone. I also used 5lbs of potatoes and 3 cups of milk and it still came out quite soft and liquidy. It's a ton of work only to get an an imperfect result. If I were to make it again, I'd boil the potatoes, probably. The crispety cruncheties are absolutely incredible. I could sit there and eat the whole batch just by itself. Overall good for special occasions... if you don't mess it up..
Anonymous
Los Angeles, CA
11/23/2023
It would be more in keeping with standard English if you called those things crispy crunchies. There is no reason to add an extra syllable. (I made a vegan version of the recipe. It was good, but I never make something more than once because I like to explore new recipes.)
Anne
Glengary, WV
11/2/2023
Admittedly, we only have mashed potatoes over the holidays but I have wanted make a variant of this recipe for Thanksgiving for several years now, primarily as a way to use the German Butterball potato. Unfortunately, per my local green grocer, the Butterball is a mid-late summer variety, so well out of season come Thanksgiving. (Given that this Best Thanksgiving recipe video was shot in July --probably something BA should have considered during production and development. At least the printed recipe does give Yukon gold as an option.) Most folks do not know that retail bought potatoes might have been held in cold storage for 3-6 months before it hits the shelf and to me, there is absolutely no comparison in taste and texture to a freshly dug potato. The challenge, as the vendor pointed out, is that speciality potatoes are a tough sell. Everyone knows the difference and pleasure of eating a fresh vine ripe heirloom tomato and are willing to pay up; not so with potatoes; its a commodity product that people buy in 5 lb bags and bury in dairy or other tasty bits. If you want a mashed potato that doesn't need loads of butter and cream, go find a fresh potato....just not German Butterballs at Thanksgiving.
Anonymous
Los Altos, CA
10/19/2023
Overall, great! Worth the time and effort, especially for the topping. I baked my potatoes (Yukon gold-ish, they weren’t labeled) for about an hour until fork tender, halved them and then scooped out the insides. Felt like that was faster than peeling with a knife as suggested. Made and steeped the milk/butter mixture as instructed but threw in a Parmesan rind for an added bit of oomph. My only critique is that even using less lemon zest than suggested in the milk mixture almost made the potatoes too lemony. Now with the topping and a gravy I made (simple roux - equal parts butter and flour whisked frequently until desired color (remember: lighter means it thickens more, darker means it adds more flavor but thickens less) and then whisked in homemade stock and reduced until desired thickness), it was great. I’d halve the lemon in the milk next time. Used a potato ricer and texture was awesome. Fluffy, not gluey at all.
Lauren M
Mandeville, LA
11/26/2021
These potatoes are amazing! Definitely worth the time they take if you want to go above and beyond with your meal. I was a bit scared once I'd added all the liquid because the potatoes seemed quite soupy but I stirred them a lot and let them cool off a bit before reheating to serve and they were the perfect consistency. Don't skip out on the crispety cruncheties either! They're super easy to make and add a great texture.
Anonymous
Vancouver, BC
2/2/2021
OKAY, I normally don't write reviews EVER, but I'm writing this in case there is someone like me who is reading through the comments to see if they messed up their mashed potatoes. I followed the recipe to the T... But I didn't read ANY reviews before starting. So, naturally, when I added the DELICIOUS infused milk mixture I panicked. I started reading through the comments and saw that a lot of people modified the liquid ratio for the same reason... However I knew that the recipe called for WHISKING WHILE THE POTATOES ARE BUBBLY for a reason. I think the mistake in the recipe is that they do not emphasize enough just HOW MUCH whisking is needed - a LOT. I whisked and whisked while the potato mixture was on medium heat and then, like magic, it started to thicken. I have transferred it to a bowl to let it cool and let me tell ya: the consistency is AMAZING. So, whoever is reading the comments in despair: You're not doing it wrong, just keep whisking.
Steff
Dallas, TX
12/24/2020
The very best mashed potatoes I’ve ever had. I made with just regular ‘ole russet potatoes using the old school peel-then-boil method and still came out absolutely divine. I’m sure following the exact recipe would yield an ever better result, but for the typical home chef looking to step it up a bit, evolving your typical mashed potatoes method with the flavoring of the milk and butter, as well as the addition of the “Crispety Cruncheties”, this recipe is the bomb.
Anonymous
Indianapolis, IN
11/27/2020