Imagine your favourite potato chip flavour—good 'ol sour cream & chive—but in a dreamy mashed potato form. This mash is loaded with tangy sour cream, sharp cheddar cheese, freshly chopped chives and garlic powder. A crowd-pleaser of a side dish, serve for weeknight dinners and Sunday roasts, or as your Thanksgiving mash and at holiday dinners.
I have three words for this mash: lip-smacking good! I can’t get enough of it—total comfort food vibes, with a nostalgic twist. Put the whole pot in front of me and I’ll find it near impossible not to gobble it all up.
While add-ins really oomph a mash, how you combine the ingredients together can elevate it to legendary status. If you want to go the extra mile, this recipe will teach you how to make a mash that’s nice and fluffy—all my tips and tricks below.
As a Registered Nutritionist, I’m a mega fan of the humble potato🥔. They’re versatile (enjoy them boiled, roasted, baked, mashed…), affordable, and naturally gluten-free, making them an accessible dietary staple for many. As a rich source of carbohydrates, they’re a great food to provide easy energy to the body.
Gather Ingredients
- Mashing potatoes. Good mash starts with using the right potatoes. In NZ, this is typically Agria; in the UK, Maris Piper; in the USA and Canada, Russet or Yukon Gold are great picks; and in Aussie, Russet Burbank or Desiree.
- Butter. A mash potato-must for richness, creaminess and great flavour.
- Sour cream. Sold in various fat percentages, like full-fat, reduced-fat or fat-free. I like full-fat here as it lends a richer and creamier texture.
- Cheddar cheese. Adds a gorgeous sharpness to balance the tangy flavour of sour cream. Go for an aged cheddar if you can!
- Chives. A (tasty) thin, green, grass-like herb. They add a mild onion flavour and pop of colour here.
- Seasoning. Salt is added to the boiling water to help season the potatoes as they cook, while garlic powder and pepper (+ extra salt if needed) is mixed in at the end.
Before you start: take the butter, cheese and sour cream out of the fridge to bring to room temperature. Adding cold mix-in’s to hot mash is a no-go—room temperature or warm ingredients blend more easily, creating a smoother texture without lumps or clumps (while keeping the mash warm!).
Step-by-Step: Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes
Kitchen Tips
What’s the number one way to create an epic mash? It’s all about controlling the starch, baby!
Starch is a type of carbohydrate found in foods like potatoes. When potatoes are heated, the starch absorbs water and swells. When mashed (vigourously), the starch can rupture, causing things to thicken—and this can be a one-way ticket to gluey, stodgy mash.
Below are tips to reduce the starch, while also not overworking the potatoes.
- Peel off the skins. I’m not typically a potato peeler (hello dietary fibre), but, a creamy mash calls for peeled potatoes.
- Rinse before and after boiling. Pre-boiling, rinse the spuds with cold water until it runs clear. Post-boiling, give them another rinse with hot water. This helps remove excess surface starch.
- Boil from cold water. Start with cold water to ensure even cooking. Uneven or undercooked potatoes = lumpy mash.
- Use a light touch. Mash the potatoes gently, just enough to mix the ingredients. Overworking can make the mash dense and gummy.
For extra finesse, mash with a potato ricer or food mill. The tool you mash with—potato ricer, masher, even a fine mesh sieve—makes a difference to the end texture. While more admin, the small individual holes of a potato ricer separate the potato particles, while minimising the release of more starch, helping create a lump-free, airy texture. If you want a professional-quality texture to your mash, try it!
To Serve
This mash is fabulous paired with roast chook or turkey; beef tenderloin or steak; pork chops; or, for a vegetarian option, lentil loaf, cauliflower steaks, or grilled portobello mushrooms.
As for my favourite blog recipe to serve it with? This beef stroganoff with mushrooms.
Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoy this sour cream mashed potatoes recipe🥔.
Fluffy Sour Cream & Chives Mashed Potatoes
Rating:
Ingredients:
- 1 kg mashing potatoes
- 2 Tbsp butter (28g)
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup cheddar cheese, coarsely grated
- ¼ cup finely snipped chives (approx. 10-12 chives)
- ¼ tsp garlic powder, to taste
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Method:
Ingredient prep + cook potatoes
- Measure out the portion of butter, cheddar cheese and sour cream. Keep aside as you make the mash to bring to room temperature.
- Peel the potatoes and chop into even-sized chunks.
- Place potatoes in a sieve or colander, and rinse with cold water for a minute or so. The water should go from cloudy to clear.
- Add potatoes to a pot of cold water and generously with salt. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat to keep it at a gentle simmer. Cook until fork-tender, typically 10-15 minutes.
- Finely snip the chives (kitchen scissors are great!).
- Drain the potatoes. Rinse with hot water.
Mash potatoes
- Choose your mashing weapon – a potato masher or potato ricer. Proceed to use, with gentle pressure.
Flavour potatoes
- Finely cube the butter. Add to mash potatoes and gently fold through using a spatula.
- Add the sour cream, cheese, chives, garlic powder and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Gently fold through until evenly incorporated, being careful to not over-mix.
- Taste test. Adjust seasoning, if desired.
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If you enjoyed this dish, please consider giving it a star rating when you post a comment. Star ratings help others discover my recipes online (and your reviews make my day! 🙂 ). Happy cooking and baking. Danijela x
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