by: Kate McMillan
Cook Time
35 minutes
Prep Time
15 minutes
Yield
6 servings
Total Time
35 minutes
Prep Time
15 minutes
Yield
6 servings
summary
You simply cannot have the perfect Thanksgiving table without a big bowl of creamy, buttery mashed potatoes! The twist here is that we used brown butter, which gives the potatoes a slightly nutty flavor. Don’t forget to save a bit of brown butter to drizzle over the top, because we all know there is no such thing as too much butter at Thanksgiving.
ingredients
- 3 pounds Russet potatoes
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- ¾ cup whole milk, warmed
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon chopped chives, optional
directions
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into 1-inch cubes. Add them to a large stockpot and fill with cold water, covering the potatoes with about an inch of water. Add 1 teaspoon salt and set over medium-high heat.
- Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until potatoes are fork-tender, but not falling apart, 10–12 minutes. Drain and return to the pot over low heat. Let the potatoes cook for a minute to remove any excess moisture. Use a potato masher; to mash the potatoes until mostly smooth.
- Cut the butter into cubes and add to a stainless steel skillet set over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring frequently until you have brown butter, about 15 minutes. Immediately transfer the brown butter to a heat-proof bowl.
- Add the warmed milk and all but 2 tablespoons of the butter to the potatoes. Stir to combine and season generously with salt and pepper. Spoon the brown butter mashed potatoes into a serving bowl and drizzle the reserved browned butter over the top. Sprinkle with chives, if using, and serve at once.
notes
Browned butter is easy, but follow these simple rules to set yourself up for success:
Cut the butter into small pieces to help it melt evenly.
Work over low heat. This takes time, but too high heat will burn the butter.
Use a stainless pan so you can see what is happening to the butter on the bottom of the pan. A small stainless skillet works well.
Stay at the stove. Once the butter starts to brown, it can go from brown to burnt in seconds.
Stir often; this makes it less likely to burn in one spot and ensures even cooking.
Have a heat-proof bowl ready; pour the butter into the bowl as soon as it reaches the desired state. Transferring to a bowl will stop the cooking process.
Always mash by hand. Using a stand mixer or hand mixer will result in gummy potatoes.
Always cook your potatoes after draining them. This allows you to get rid of all excess water so your potatoes absorb maximum flavor from the milk and butter.
Take the time to warm the milk. Adding cold milk to the potatoes will change their texture.
