These Baked Mashed Potatoes are likely to become your go-to make-ahead side dish. I have found that most people love mashed potato, and this easy recipe takes the perennial favourite to new heights of deliciousness. Smooth, creamy mashed potatoes are added to a large casserole dish, topped with buttery breadcrumbs seasoned with fresh thyme and grated Parmesan, then baked until the top is golden and crisp. It is a great side dish that sits happily beside all protein.
Why You'll Love This Recipe:
- It is made from simple ingredients that are readily available.
- Potatoes often play a supporting role to a more elaborate protein, but these Baked Mashed Potatoes, when served with a dish such as my Slow Roasted Leg of Lamb, are not playing second fiddle, they share the limelight.
- This is a dish that will be enjoyed by the family on weeknights, but so deliciously homely and comfy that you can happily serve it at a dinner party. Few can resist creamy mash with a crisp topping.
- The fact that it can be made in advance is a great advantage when entertaining.
- You can easily adapt the recipe to be gluten-free by using appropriate breadcrumbs and dairy-free by using an alternative butter and cheese.
- It is an easy dish, suitable for beginner cooks but loved equally by experienced cooks.
Recipe Inspiration: the humble potato is a staple ingredient in many homes throughout the world and you can use them in so many ways. Mashed potato is one of the most popular ways to enjoy them, and as wonderful as good mash is, with the addition of a crispy crumb topping, we have transformed it into a dish worthy of being included at your celebration.
Ingredients and Substitutions:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
- Potatoes - use a good mashing potato. I use Red Royale, Sebago or Coliban. Ideally, you want a starchy potato to make your mash light and fluffy.
- Sea salt - we add it to the water to add flavour to the potatoes as they boil.
- Garlic - we add some whole, peeled garlic cloves to the cooking water to flavour the potatoes as they boil.
- Cold water - to cover the potatoes.
- Unsalted butter - we prefer unsalted butter so we can better adjust the amount of salt to add, as commercial varieties contain varying amounts of salt. We use it in the mash as well as in the topping.
- Milk - I use full cream milk for richness, but you can use the milk of your choice.
- Spring onions - also known as scallions or green onions. We use the green and white parts.
- Parmesan - we use Parmigiano Reggiano, freshly grated, in the mash and the crumb topping. Use the best quality that you have. Avoid pre-grated cheese as it sometimes contains anti-clumping agents that prevent it melting into the dish.
- Sea salt and pepper - two essential seasoning ingredients. Always check your seasoning before serving. It is the difference between a dish that is very tasty, or one that is bland.
- Panko breadcrumbs - these are light, flaky breadcrumbs, readily available in the supermarket. They make the topping extra crispy. Use gluten-free breadcrumbs if necessary.
- Thyme leaves - we use fresh thyme leaves; they add great savoury flavour to the breadcrumb topping.
Variations:
Parmesan - you could substitute with a full flavoured cheddar, freshly grated. Use a vegetarian alternative if necessary.
Thyme - you could use fresh rosemary or dried oregano. If using dried oregano, it is more concentrated than fresh, so use ⅔ teaspoon.
Spring onions/scallions - you could use chives instead.
Spice - you could add some cayenne pepper to suit your taste.
Potatoes - using sweet potato for a Baked Mashed Sweet Potato is another delicious idea.
How To Make Baked Mashed Potatoes:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
1 - Boil the potatoes:
Peel the potatoes and cut into 2.5 cm (1-inch) pieces. Place the potatoes and garlic cloves into a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Add the sea salt and bring to the boil. Cook for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
Drain the potatoes and return them to the saucepan to remove excess moisture.
2 - Prepare your breadcrumb topping:
To make the topping, melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add to a medium size bowl along with the breadcrumbs and thyme leaves. Stir to combine well. Set aside until you're ready to use.
3 - Mash the potatoes:
Mash the potato and garlic together, then add the butter and mix well until it melts. Add the milk and mix to combine. Lastly, mix in the spring onions and parmesan and season well to taste with salt and pepper.
4 - Add to your baking dish:
Add the potato mixture to your greased baking dish and smooth the top.
Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the top of the mashed potato. Bake in a pre-heated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and crispy and the potatoes are warmed through. Garnish with finely chopped spring onion greens.
Hint: your potatoes should be sufficiently tender to be able to mash easily, but not overcooked until they are mushy or they will have absorbed too much water. Ensure that the potato is seasoned to your liking before adding it to the casserole dish.
Tips for Success, Storage and FAQs:
You want a starchy potato for fluffy mash and not a waxy one. You could use Yukon Gold, Red Royale, Sebago or Coliban.
Yes, you can make them a day ahead if you wish. Prepare the mashed potato and place it in the casserole - keep the topping separate. When it is cool, cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature, add the topping and bake as per the recipe.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. However, if the mash has been out of the fridge for 2 hours, it should be discarded.
Reheat, covered, in a preheated oven at 180 degrees C (355 F) for about 30-40 minutes or until ready. Uncover the dish for the last 10 minutes.
You certainly can. Just use gluten-free breadcrumbs.
Top Tip:
Start your potatoes in cold water; it helps ensure they cook more evenly. Returning your cooked potatoes to the hot saucepan for a minute or two helps dry out some of the water sticking to them and avoids diluting the creaminess of the milk and butter. Also, I like to add the butter to the hot potatoes to ensure that it completely melts before adding the milk.
Serving Suggestions:
You will find that this Baked Mashed Potato is an extremely versatile dish. Just some of the ways to enjoy it are:
- Served as a side dish for your festive celebration; it is a great advantage to be able to prepare it ahead of time. We love it alongside our Marmalade Glazed Ham or Roast Chicken.
- It is great served alongside most proteins, such as our Slow Cooked Leg of Lamb.
- At a barbecue it is a great addition to meats or sausages.
- Take it to a potluck - it travels well and is always a crowd-pleaser.
I am certain that you will find yourself turning to this family favourite side dish on many occasions. It is pure comfort food, and always a crowd pleaser.
Alex xx
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Baked Mashed Potatoes
Please note:
For accuracy, when weights are provided, we recommend weighing your ingredients. This will produce the best results. All oven temperatures listed are for fan forced.
Ingredients
For the Potatoes:
- 1.5 kg (3.3 lb) potatoes - a starchy variety is best See Note 1
- 2 teaspoon coarse cooking sea salt
- 4 cloves garlic - peeled and left whole
- cold water - to cover the potatoes
- 125 g (½ cup) unsalted butter
- 300 ml (1 ¼ cups) milk
- 3 spring/green onions - finely sliced, the whites and the green part - some of the green left aside for garnish
- 60 g (¾ cup) Parmesan - freshly grated
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper - to taste See Note 2
For the Topping:
- 60 g (¼ cup) unsalted butter
- 90 g (1 cup) panko breadcrumbs
- 2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves - finely chopped
- 30 g (¼ cup + 1 tbsp) Parmesan - freshly grated See Note 3
Instructions
- Grease a ceramic dish with a little oil or butter - I used a dish that measures 30 x 18 cm (12 x 7 inches.)Preheat your oven to 200 degrees C (390 F.)
- Peel the potatoes and cut into 2.5 cm (1 inch) pieces.Place the potatoes and garlic cloves into a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Add in the sea salt. Bring to the boil and cook for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.
- Remove them from the heat and drain the sweet potatoes. Return them to the saucepan.Using a potato masher, mash the potato and garlic. (Don't use beaters/stand mixer as this will make the potatoes gummy.)Add in the butter and mix to melt. Add in the milk and mix to combine. Lastly, mix in the spring onions and parmesan and season well to taste with salt and pepper.
- Add the potato mixture to your greased baking dish and smooth the top.
- To make the topping, melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add to a medium size bowl along with the breadcrumbs, Parmesan and thyme leaves. Stir to combine well and set aside.Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the top of the mashed potato.
- Bake in your preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the potatoes are warmed through. Garnish with some of the leftover finely chopped spring onion greens.
Notes
- Potatoes: you want a starchy potato for fluffy mash and not a waxy one. You could use Yukon Gold, Red Royale, Sebago or Coliban.
- Seasoning: adjust the seasoning to your liking - we recommend using freshly ground black pepper and sea salt.
- Tablespoon: we use a standard Australian tablespoon which is 20 ml (4 teaspoons). For readers located elsewhere in the world, please use 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon for each listed tablespoon.
- Gluten and dairy-free: use the appropriate this dish has been tested with gluten-free flour and breadcrumbs and comes out perfectly. If you are unable to source gluten-free breadcrumbs, simply omit and just sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the top. Dairy free milk and butter can be substituted if necessary.
- Make in advance: you can prepare the dish a day in advance but don't add the breadcrumbs until just before you are ready to bake it. Remove from the fridge 30 minutes prior to heating. It will take longer to heat than if cooked from fresh (approx. 30-40 minutes) and you may need to cover with foil to stop the breadcrumbs from getting too brown.
- Storage: store leftovers, well covered, in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat the Baked Mashed Potatoes, covered with foil, at 180 degrees C (355 F) for 30-40 minutes or until hot.
- Freezing: wrap the dish well in cling film to avoid freezer burn and it drying out. Defrost in the fridge.
Nutrition Estimate:
Nutritional Disclaimer:
The nutritional information is an estimate only, and is derived from online calculators. For accurate results, we recommend calculating the nutritional information based on the ingredients and brands you use.
Annette Scott-Holland says
Your recipes a great, a little bit different from the norm and so easy to make. I love them , please keep them coming.
Alexandra Cook says
Thank you, Annette, for your kind words.
I am so grateful for your lovely comment.
Please let me know if there is ever something in particular that you'd like to see on the blog.
Alex xo