I asked last year what y'all wanted to see for holiday foods and the biggest thing was interesting potato dishes for the perfect side dish. Specifically, not-boring mashed potatoes.
Lucky for y'all, my family and I love potatoes and I will jazz them up like no other. We did crispy mini hasselback potatoes covered in cheese for a fun appetizer, some old school smothered green beans and potatoes which are amazing btw, and now I'm bringing not boring mashed potatoes with the perfect creamy texture to the menu.
These potatoes were part of my family's clean plate club when I served them with last week's slow cooker short ribs, so you know they're a winner!
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Easy Make-Ahead Boursin Cheese Mashed Potatoes for Thanksgiving
These easy boursin mashed potatoes are creamy, smooth, and pack a lot of flavor without a ton of work.
We're using the rich, creamy boursin cheese to give the potatoes a perfect texture and tons of flavor. And of course, adding cream and butter because what's mashed potatoes without them?
But what's really going to get those ooh's and ahh's is the caramelized shallots whipped into the potatoes. Not only do they add flavor, but the aesthetic is rustic, rich, and homemade. They're optional, but I'm always looking to wow during the holidays.
This is literally just a handful of ingredients but it completely amps up your holiday mashed potatoes.
Wait, What is Boursin Cheese?
Boursin was inspired by French fromage frais, a type of fresh cheese eaten as a snack or appetizer in France, made in Gournay, France. It's a soft cheese, creamy like fromage frais but richer, higher in fat, and enriched with herbs and spices.
It's texture is kinda like cream cheese and it's meant to be used as a spreadable cheese to mix into dips or on a cheese board. Their most famous flavor is garlic and fine herb flavor but they have shallot and chive flavor, black pepper, too.
Ingredients Needed
Full ingredients, measurements, and printable instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Gold Potatoes - Yukon gold potatoes, butter potatoes, whatever you wanna call them. You want to use yellow potatoes because they make great, creamy mashed potatoes.
- Chicken Broth - this is my secret weapon when I am boiling almost anything! It changes the game, I swear honey! Those potatoes are flavored inside and out thanks to using chicken broth instead of salted water.
- Shallot and Chive Boursin Cheese - though you can use any flavor, I love this one and amplify it with my own caramelized shallots.
- Heavy Cream - calories don't count on vacation or holidays
- Unsalted Butter - we really want to control the salt level since the boursin cheese is pretty salty. We're also using it with our caramelized shallots.
- Shallots - this is optional but it gives that extra pizazz, extra oomph. They caramelized really sweet, adding another layer of flavor we love.
- Fresh Chives - again, to really amp up that 'shallot and chive' vibe. And nothing is better than fresh herbs in a rich dish!
- Salt and Pepper.
Ingredient Swaps
- Can't find the shallot and chive Boursin cheese? The garlic and fine herbs flavor and the caramelized onion one are great subs.
- Can't find the Boursin brand? I noticed it's been out of stock in many grocery stores lately! Try finding Alouette or a sour cream and chives cream cheese or soft cheese spread.
- No shallots? Swap them for yellow onion to make caramelized onions instead.
- No heavy cream? Whole milk with a pat or two of butter melted in recreates that creaminess
- What about the potatoes? This recipe works with yellow, red, and Russet/baking potatoes, but the russets will need to be whole while boiling and pressed through a ricer or food mill to guarantee a silky smooth mash instead of a gluey-gummy one.
How to Make Creamy Boursin Mashed Potatoes
Step 1
Boil the potatoes.
Start with cold water and chicken broth, then put the potatoes in the large pot and cover until the water comes to a boil. Boil uncovered until the potatoes are fork tender.
Step 2
Caramelize the shallots.
I use this technique from America's Test Kitchen. Water + high heat breaks them down super quick!
Step 3
Mash the potatoes until smooth.
The secret to perfectly smooth potatoes is a potato ricer or a food mill, of course. If you don't have one a potato masher or hand mixer will also work.
Step 4
Whip in the good stuff.
Mix in the boursin cheese, shallots, cream and butter. Taste and season as needed. Then garnish with chives, drizzle on a little melted butter, and serve hot with your other Thanksgiving sides!
Equipment I Used
Chef's Tips for the Best Mashed Potatoes
- Warm your dairy – Heat the milk or cream and melt the butter before adding. Cold dairy can seize up the starches and make the potatoes gluey.
- Dry the potatoes well – After draining, let the potatoes steam in the pot for a minute or two so excess water evaporates. This keeps your mash from turning watery.
- Make them ahead – You can prep these a day early. Store them in an airtight container for up to 2 days ahead of time. Reheat the potatoes gently on the stove with a generous splash of warm cream to bring them back to life.
- Using Russets? Don't use an electric mixer! It'll over whip your potatoes and make them gummy.
- Don't peel your russet potatoes - if you're using russets, don't peel them before boiling. Their starches will soak up as much moisture as they can, leaving them waterlogged.
Troubleshooting
This happens when potatoes are overworked. Always use a potato ricer or masher instead of a food processor or blender, and mix gently once the cheese and cream go in.
You may have added too much cream or didn’t let the potatoes steam dry after boiling. To fix, stir in a little more riced potato if you have it, or let them sit uncovered on low heat to evaporate excess liquid.
That’s usually from adding too much butter or cheese at once. Fold in the fat slowly, and stop when the potatoes are silky instead of shiny.ter the first flip.
Mashed potatoes always tighten up after chilling in the fridge. Bring them back with a splash of warm cream or chicken broth and a pat of butter on the stove, stirring gently until creamy again.
More Holiday Side Dishes You’ll Love
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Boursin Mashed Potatoes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 lbs Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
- 4 cups chicken broth, plus water as needed to cover potatoes
- 8 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided
- 2 medium shallots, thinly sliced (optional)
- 5 oz Boursin cheese, shallot & chive flavor, or your favorite
- ½ cup heavy cream, warmed
- 2 tablespoon fresh chives, finely chopped
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Place the potatoes into a large pot and cover with the chicken broth and water, with an inch of liquid over the potatoes. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cook uncovered until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 20-30 minutes. Drain the potatoes from the pot, then let them steam dry for a minute in the hot pot.3 lbs Yukon gold potatoes, 4 cups chicken broth
- OPTIONAL: While the potatoes cook, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the sliced shallots and a good splash of water. Cover with the lid and let simmer, replacing the water as needed and stirring frequently when you do. This helps break the shallots down quickly. Cook until golden and jammy, about 7 minutes. Set them aside.8 tablespoon unsalted butter, 2 medium shallots
- Pass the drained potato through a potato ricer or food mill (or mash by hand) into the pot or a large mixing bowl.
- Stir in the caramelized shallots, add the remaining butter, heavy cream, and lastly, the boursin cheese. Mix gently until well combined. Don't overwork the potatoes or they could become gluey.5 oz Boursin cheese, ½ cup heavy cream
- Taste and season generously with the salt and pepper. Spoon the mashed potatoes into a serving bowl, sprinkle with fresh chives, and serve hot.2 tablespoon fresh chives, Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
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