Golden Mashed Potatoes With Cheddar and Chives

By Andy Baraghani

Updated Nov. 17, 2025

Golden Mashed Potatoes With Cheddar and Chives
Bobbi Lin for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich. Prop Stylist: Megan Hedgpeth.
Total Time
1 hour
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
50 minutes
Rating
5(148)
Comments
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Stained with turmeric and run through with heavy-handed additions of dairy, these potatoes don’t play it safe. Turmeric tints the cream an almost glowing gold, and a heap of sharp white Cheddar melts straight into the mix, giving it both body and tang. They’re rich, yes, but not one-note, as the chives (or scallions, if that’s what you’ve got) cut through with a clean, oniony freshness. The only real rule here is to make sure you drain your potatoes quite well before combining them with your seasonings. Waterlogged potatoes will never absorb all that spiced cream and cheese, and you’ll be left with glue instead of mash. Beyond that, don’t overthink it: Mash them with a spoon or a masher, your weapon of choice. Perfection isn’t the goal, comfort is.

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Ingredients

Yield:8 servings
  • 4pounds large potatoes (preferably a mix of russet and Yukon Golds), scrubbed
  • Salt 
  • 1½cups heavy cream
  • 1cup whole milk or buttermilk 
  • 1½teaspoons ground turmeric 
  • Freshly ground black pepper 
  • 6tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pats, plus more for serving 
  • 1pound aged white Cheddar, coarsely grated
  • 1small bunch chives, finely chopped, or 4 scallions, thinly sliced
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)

658 calories; 45 grams fat; 27 grams saturated fat; 1 gram trans fat; 12 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 46 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 20 grams protein; 887 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Peel and cut the potatoes into 2-inch pieces. Place them in a large pot and pour in cold water to cover by 1 inch. Add a large handful of salt — the water should be quite salty, like pasta water — and bring to a boil over high. Reduce heat to medium-high and simmer until all the potatoes are tender enough to be pierced easily with a paring knife, but not falling apart, 15 to 18 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Meanwhile, combine the cream, milk and turmeric in a small saucepan. Season with salt and lots of pepper and bring to a simmer over medium heat, whisking often, until the turmeric stains the mixture a wonderful golden color and the liquid starts to steam, about 3 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Drain the potatoes really well to get as much moisture out as possible. For smooth mashed potatoes, pass them through a ricer back into the pot; for a more rustic mash, return the drained potatoes to the pot and mash with a potato masher or wooden spoon until mostly smooth, with a few small lumps if you like.

  4. Step 4

    Scatter the butter over the hot potatoes and stir until all the butter has melted and disappeared. Working in batches, gradually add the cream mixture and cheese, taking the time to stop and stir until the potatoes have absorbed all the liquid and the cheese, making sure not to overstir. Taste and adjust with more salt and pepper.

  5. Step 5

    Transfer to a serving bowl, top with a pat of butter, and scatter with chives and more pepper before serving.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
148 user ratings
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Comments

C

The theory is that cold butter melts more slowly when mashed in and distributes the fat more evenly and helps coat the potatoes to prevent gumminess.

Sylvia

Can this dish be made ahead of time and reheated without sacrificing too much taste?

RachelB

@Sylvia from his article in the NYT: 8 a.m.: Make the mashed potatoes (without the chives). Keep covered in the pot to rewarm later over very low heat.

Laurie

These were the star of Thanksgiving dinner 2025!

Tim

These are the best mashed potatoes I've had in nearly 70 years! I did add the milk mixture and the cheese bit by bit, to avoid any danger of soupiness. My question: One of my guests at Christmas doesn't eat cheese. How could I modify this?

J

Excellent - but something important is missing from this recipe. DO NOT use all russet potatoes. You will end up with a SOUP!! make sure it's either all goldens or half and half (I was able to add a pound of goldens to save this -- and boy was it still good -- if you can imagine the pound of cheese goes a long way)

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