Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes

Let’s see…hooowwww do I put this so that I’m not verbally assaulting you BUT also properly indicating how important it is that these are a part of your life asap…? Let me just put it this way: if these aren’t on your Thanksgiving spread this year, why even celebrate the holiday? I mean…sure, it’s good to be thankful for what we have and spend time with family and friends, I knnoowww – sure, sure, but if Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes aren’t on your menu, are you even celebrating?!?!?

Because THEY ARE MANDATORY.

I’ll step back a bit here and just politely say that you will be happy you chose these as your Thanksgiving mashed potatoes this year if you decide to do so. Because they are flavor heaven. They are creamy, dreamy, decadent, nutty, toasty, buttery flavor heaven. Need I say more?

Maybe not, but I’m going to anyway. Here’s the different things that make these DELICIOUS:

• They are cooked with a few big scoops of chicken base. This is my mother-in-law’s trick that she taught me, and I’ve never made potatoes without doing this since. It adds so much complexity and depth of flavor to the taters
• They are mashed up with lots of half and half + BROWN BUTTER
• Brown butter
• Brown butter
• Also, brown butter

If you’ve never had brown butter, it still tastes like butter but it also tastes nutty and toasty and so freaking delicious I can’t quite describe it accurately without getting emotional. If you’ve never tried it, you can confidently know that you have missed out on one of the most delicious things the cooking world has to offer. FIX THIS IMMEDIATELY!!!!!

Sorry for being bossy. Love you.

I extra need these in my life right now after the hot-mess-ness of my life the last few days. Let me just tell you what happened to me yesterday. I was walking through the baby gate that separates my laundry room from the rest of the house, and I somehow tripped, took the whole entire baby gate down with me, effectively ripping it off the wall, and fell super hard, FULL body weight, onto the bench that is several feet outside the laundry room door. ON my face. On my face. Like my face took the full brunt of the fall on the CORNER of the bench.

Y’ALL. I potentially broke my pinkie toe – it is quite black, blue, and swollen today – and I definitely busted my face…which is now bruised. Can I say it wasn’t my best moment? Can I also mention that I’m super pregnant? Which I am partially fully blaming for the lack of gracefulness. I had to monitor baby’s kicks for 24 hours and watch for any cramping or bleeding after my major, massive wipe out. STRUG.

So I think it goes without saying that I could use a giant bowl of these creamy, smooth, luxurious mashed potatoes to soothe my foot, face, and – most importantly – pride right about now.

And YOU need them to be on your Thanksgiving menu this year. See? We all need them for something. Thanks for bein, you, brown butter.

Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes

• Author: Annie Chesson
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 15 mins
• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: 20 servings 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 5 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and diced
• A few big scoops of chicken base
• 2 sticks butter
• 1 1/2 – 2 cups half and half

Instructions

1. Add your potatoes to a large pot and add enough water to just cover the potatoes. Season the water liberally with salt and stir in your few big scoops of chicken base
2. Bring the potatoes to a simmer and cook until tender when pierced with a fork or knife
3. Drain the potatoes and set aside
4. Meanwhile, Add your 2 sticks of butter to a large pan. Cook over medium – medium high heat until the butter has turned a nice, deep golden brown color
5. Immediately add the brown butter to your potatoes along with your half and half. Beat with a hand mixer until super smooth or mash with a traditional potato masher. Whichever floats your boat
6. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve!

Notes

The half and half amount is ranged in the recipe because some people like heartier, stiffer mashed potatoes while some like it to be a thinner puree. I like right in between, so I think I added 1 3/4 cups…but start with 1 1/2 and add from there!

The chicken base that I buy is called “Better than Bouillon”, and it comes in a small-ish jar in the same section as the boxed chicken broth in your grocery store. If you can’t find it, you can either cook the potatoes in boxed/canned chicken broth OR just skip this all together and cook them in salted water!

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1/2 cup
• Calories: 225
• Sugar: 1 g
• Sodium: 301 mg
• Fat: 12 g
• Trans Fat: 0 g
• Carbohydrates: 26 g
• Fiber: 3 g
• Protein: 4 g
• Cholesterol: 33 mg

If you make this or any of my other recipes, be sure to Instagram it and hashtag #thegarlicdiaries!

In the mood for more yummy mashed potato recipes? Check these out:

Buttery, Cheesy Instant Pot Smashed Potatoes

Rustic Crock Pot Mashed Potatoes

Ultimate Secret Ingredient Garlic Mashed Potatoes