Caramelized Onion Mashed Potatoes Recipe

My creamy caramelized onion mashed potatoes are rich, buttery, and full of flavor. You’ll caramelize 5 entire white onions, and then fold them into buttery Yukon gold mashed potatoes. Plus, you bet I’m using blended cottage cheese to not only increase the protein content, but also give these taters a creamy texture and tang of flavor. This mashed potato recipe really does level up traditional mashed potatoes!

What You Need for This Recipe

• Potatoes: I prefer Yukon gold potatoes for this recipe! They’re creamy, flavorful and so, so good paired with the caramelized onions. If you must substitute, I recommend Russet potatoes, but please know it will impact the flavor of the dish.
• Onions: You’ll need A LOT of onion for these mashed potatoes. 5 medium white onions to be exact! Because they cook down significantly when caramelizing, you need to start with a lot. I like to mandolin my onions for this recipe because it ensures that they’re all the same thickness and will caramelize at an even rate.
• Blended cottage cheese: The protein powerhouse strikes again! Blending the cottage cheese allows you to incorporate it into the potatoes without the “lumps” of the cheese curds affecting the appearance of your mashed potatoes. It also adds to the creamy texture. Yum! If you must use cottage cheese without without blending it, just know it will impact the appearance of these potatoes.
• Butter: This recipe calls for unsalted butter. I prefer unsalted because it allows you the option to salt to taste at the end. If you use salted butter, there’s a good chance your potatoes will be over-salted, and there’s no coming back from that.

Ingredient Spotlight: Potatoes (The Best Kind for Mashing)

Yukon gold potatoes are the GOAT for mashed potatoes. They’re super creamy, and mash incredibly well after boiling. The buttery flavor and texture makes them perfect for mashed potatoes (plus, the yellow hue looks gorgeous against the caramelized onions). Make sure you peel and quarter them before boiling to ensure every single chunk of potato is softened enough to evenly mash.

Russet potatoes or Idaho potatoes can be substituted, but please know it will impact the flavor of this dish. Because both russet and Idaho potatoes aren’t as buttery and creamy as Yukon gold, you may want to increase the blended cottage cheese or add a splash or two of milk to add creaminess.

How to Make This Mashed Potatoes Recipe

1. Caramelize the onions: Cook all 5 thinly sliced onions (I like to use my mandolin!) with olive oil and a dash of salt over medium/low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The goal is for the onions to turn golden brown, not crispy or burnt, so you won’t want to cook them any higher than medium/low. Slow and steady is the name of the game here!
2. Boil the potatoes: Add the peeled and quartered potatoes to a large pot and cover with water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat and cook until the potatoes are fork-tender. This usually takes about 15 minutes on my stove. 
3. Prepare the mashed potatoes: Strain the potatoes and transfer them to a large bowl. Add the butter, blended cottage cheese, pepper, and the remaining salt to the potatoes. Use an electric mixer to mix all of the ingredients on low until smooth and combined. Feel free to taste test at this point .
4. Fold in the caramelized onions: Fold the onions into the potatoes. I like to save a small pile of onions for garnish on the top of the bowl of mashed potatoes (like in these photos).
5. Serve and enjoy! Every time I make these caramelized onion mashed potatoes, they get gobbled right up .

Tips for Perfectly Creamy Potatoes

My top 2 tips for perfectly creamy potatoes are to use Yukon gold potatoes, and to blend the cottage cheese before folding it into the potatoes. Blended cottage cheese is significantly creamier than using milk (plus it amps up the protein!), and Yukon gold potatoes are naturally creamy and buttery. A win-win combination, truly.

Serving Ideas

I love serving these mashed potatoes with a pad of butter and extra salt and pepper. Either turkey gravy or mushroom gravy on top is also quite delicious. Complete your Thanksgiving menu if you’re serving these taters on the big day:

Storing & Reheating

When these caramelized onion mashed potatoes have completely cooled, transfer them to an airtight container, and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

I don’t recommend freezing these mashed potatoes. The texture and consistency of the potatoes becomes grainy and not that tasty. These mashed potatoes are best enjoyed fresh (or reheated as refrigerated leftovers).

Make-Ahead Caramelized Onion Mashed Potatoes

Free up valuable kitchen space during the holidays and make these caramelized onion mashed potatoes a few days ahead of time. Let the prepared mashed potatoes cool completely, transfer to an airtight container, and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

When ready to serve, warm the potatoes up in the microwave or transfer to an oven-safe baking dish and heat covered until warmed through. You may need to mix in a splash of milk or a dollop of blended cottage to thin the potatoes out a little bit as they can thicken after sitting.

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