These browned butter herb mashed potatoes are nothing short of fabulous! If you’re looking to up your mashed potato game for the holidays, adding browned butter, crispy sage and fresh thyme is your best bet.
I made these Browned Butter Herb Mashed Potatoes for a friendsgiving gathering a couple of weeks ago, and I’m so glad I decided to snap some quick photos of them on my way out to the party because I had a feeling I’d want to share this recipe with you.
What makes these browned butter herb mashed potatoes so special
It turns out I was right, because this dish elicited several oohs and ahhs from the guests, all of whom work in the food industry and know a good thing when they taste it! I knew I had to get this recipe up for you in time for Thanksgiving. If you’re looking to elevate your mashed potato game this holiday season, you need to make these browned butter herb mashed potatoes!
Who doesn’t love browned butter? But guess what’s even better? Sage infused browned butter, achieved by crisping fresh sage leaves directly in the butter as it’s browning. This is what gives these mashed potatoes their unforgettable flavor. Fresh thyme is stirred into them as well, and the potatoes have a couple of other secret ingredients to give them a tangy quality that cuts through the richness from the butter.
The secret to the most fluffy, creamy and flavorful mashed potatoes
For the fluffiest mashed potatoes, I always use a potato ricer to eradicate any and all lumps. It’s so easy and I swear by this method! I also prefer to use Yukon Gold potatoes as I think they have a creamy texture on their own, which cuts down on the amount of milk or cream used.
Speaking of creamy, these mashed potatoes contain buttermilk and cream cheese to not only add creaminess, but a wonderful tangy quality that I love. If you don’t like tangy mashed potatoes, feel free to swap out whole milk, half and half or even heavy cream, and you can leave out the cream cheese if it’s not your thing.
Can I make these mashed potatoes in advance?
Mashed potatoes are one of the easiest holiday side dishes to make in advance! You can make them up to three days in advance and reheat them just before you plan to serve.
To reheat them in the oven, preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Add about 1/2 cup of buttermilk over the potatoes and add 2 tablespoons butter, do not stir. Cover the potatoes tightly with foil and transfer to the oven. Cook for 20-25 minutes, or until the potatoes are warmed through. Then stir before serving.
To reheat on the stove, add 1/2 cup buttermilk and 2 tablespoons butter and place the potatoes over low heat, gently stirring until warmed.
You can brown a little extra butter to spoon on top just before serving, if you’d like. Same goes with the sage leaves that you put on top for the garnish. If you want them to be crispy and fresh, I’d recommend waiting until just before serving and fry them up fresh.
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Browned Butter Herb Mashed Potatoes
These browned butter herb mashed potatoes are nothing short of fabulous! Make these if you're looking to up your mashed potato game for the holidays!
Ingredients
- 4 pounds Yukon gold potatoes peeled and cubed
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 3 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoonsalted butter at room temperature
- 12 leaves fresh sage
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme plus a sprig or two for garnish
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot of cold, generously salted water, bring the potatoes to a boil. Cook until the potatoes are tender, about 20 to 30 minutes.
- Drain the potatoes, and pass through a potato ricer back into the pot over low heat. Stir in buttermilk and cream cheese until combined.
- In a skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add sage leaves and fry until crispy. Remove the sage leaves when crispy, after about 1 minute and remove to drain on paper towels. Continue to cook butter until browned, another 2-3 minutes, then remove from heat.
- Crumble half of the sage leaves and stir into the mashed potatoes along with chopped thyme. Pour most of the browned butter into the potatoes and stir, reserving some to spoon on top. Taste and season with salt.
Recipe Notes
Serve the potatoes warm, topped with the remaining browned butter, whole sage leaves and thyme sprigs.
More Thanksgiving Sides
Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Streusel
Brussels Sprout & Butternut Squash Hash with Miso Maple Glaze
Oh my gosh, these were perfect for our Thanksgiving gathering. And the sage infused brown butter – simply delicious. Many thanks for an awesome mashed potato recipe!
I’m so honored you made these for your Thanksgiving dinner!
Butter and sage is a popular fresh pasta dressing here in Italy! I love it. Never thought to use it on mashed potatoes. Such a scrumptious idea!
I am drooling with the thought of all the combination of ingredients to this yummy potato dish. The Brown Butter flavor is the highlight for sure making it perfect and unique.
These look amazing! I have never made mashed potatoes like these but, I am absolutely going to!
Looks delish! I like the idea of adding sage. I’ve been seeing the tip about using a potato rice a few times lately, i need to try it.