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Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes, with the nutty and aromatic flavor of browned butter, are the perfect side dish to any dinner, including Thanksgiving!
The nutty hints of the browned butter added just the right flavor to the mashed potatoes to make this side dish a must for any occasion!
I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking “brown butter + mashed potatoes? Pure Genius. Why hadn’t I thought of that?” Those were my thoughts when I took my first bite, because holy s^*# these were good.
What is brown butter?
I started playing with browned butter when I made my browned butter brownies. I had never even heard of browned butter before I made those, and now anytime a recipe calls for melted butter, I don’t just melt it, I brown the goodness out of it. So, brown butter is basically butter that is melted and cooked in a pan until it is brown in color. Rather, the solids will sink to the bottom and turn brown.
My entire family absolutely loved these mashed potatoes. The look in their eyes when they first tasted them made it all worth it.
How to brown butter:
Browning your butter is fairly easy, and once you know how to do it, you will be wanting to use your brown butter in every recipe!
To make your browned butter, you simply add your butter to a saucepan and heat over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, you will start to see little brown bits forming at the bottom of the pan. Your melted butter will start to take on a delicious nutty smell. While it is browning, you need to make sure to whisk it so that the butter heats evenly. Once the butter is browned completely it is done. Make sure not to burn it at the end though.
How to make Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes:
You will start your homemade mashed potatoes by boiling large chunks of potatoes in salted water until they are tender. You can, if you would like, choose to peel the potatoes before boiling them, but I like to boil the potatoes with their skin on. This is because once the potatoes are tender, which should take around 20 minutes, the potato peels will slip right off the potatoes. If you prefer, you could also make your mashed potatoes with the skins left on, as I know some people that like that as well!
The next step would be to brown your butter, which you could do while you are waiting for your potatoes to become tender. Once you have browned your butter, mash your potatoes with the buttermilk, salt, pepper, and half of the browned butter. You will use the other half to pour over top of the potatoes. Once you are done mashing the potatoes, arrange them on a serving platter or a serving bowl and pour the remaining browned butter over top. It is also good to add fresh chives over the top as a garnish. All that’s left to do after that is to serve and enjoy!
These mashed potatoes would be perfect for any family dinner, or any holiday like Thanksgiving or Christmas! I promise you that once you make your mashed potatoes with browned butter, you will agree with me that this is the best mashed potatoes recipe ever!
Love homemade potato recipes?
You’ll have to try these:
- German Potato Salad
- Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Garlic Herb Mashed Potatoes
- Grandma’s Potato Salad
- Roasted Red Potatoes
- Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
- Loaded Baked Potato Soup
- Loaded Potato Skins
- Pressure Cooker (Instant Pot) Baked Potatoes
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 pounds gold potatoes chopped into large pieces
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- salt and pepper as desired
- fresh chives
Instructions
- You can peel the potatoes ahead of time, but I prefer to boil the large chunks of potatoes with their skin on in boiling salted water until very tender, about 20 minutes. Then I drain the potatoes and when they’re cool enough to handle, the peels slip right off.
- To make the brown butter, add the butter to a small sauce pan. Heat over medium heat. The butter will at first melt, then little brown bits will form on the bottom of the pan and it will start to smell wonderfully nutty. Whisk the butter as it melts to ensure even heating. When the butter is browned but not burnt, its done.
- Mash the potatoes with the buttermilk, salt and pepper, and half of the browned butter reserving the other half to pour over the top.
- Arrange the potatoes on a serving platter or in a serving bowl and add remaining browned butter as well as fresh chives as garnish.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post was originally created in November 2015 and has been updated with more fun facts and tidbits for your reading pleasure.
Can this recipe be made in advance?
I always make mashed potatoes in advance! Just keep warm in crockpot.
Can this recipe be made the night before?
yes
Would just like to say to brown butter it is better to use low heat and do it slowly. Burnt butter is not the goal. Have been making brown butter for decades to serve on potatoes and other vegetables. This looks great.
Wow, never used caramelized butter before. Sounds and looks great. I’m a big fan of mashed potatoes, must try this variation. Thanks!