Cheesy Mashed Potatoes
Submitted by sparks
Cheesy mashed potatoes baked into a souffle-like casserole with Old English cheese, cream cheese, and whipped egg whites folded in. Parmesan-crusted top.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
30 minREADY
45 minMashed potatoes get a souffle treatment in this baked side dish. Riced potatoes blend with butter, cream, and a molten trio of Old English cheese, cream cheese, and Parmesan, then beaten egg yolks go in for richness and whipped egg whites get folded through to lift the whole thing into a cloud.
Ricing the boiled potatoes (rather than mashing) is the foundational move for fluffy texture. A ricer breaks the cells open without turning the starch gluey, which is the difference between airy potatoes and a sticky paste. Mash them with a fork or potato masher only if you don’t own a ricer.
Folding in the egg whites at the end is where this dish earns its airy reputation. Treat them like meringue, gentle figure-eight folds, just until incorporated. Bake hot and fast so the surface browns before the air collapses.
Chef Tips
- Boil potatoes in their skins, peeling after cooking gives drier, fluffier flesh
- The baking powder helps the casserole rise even higher, don’t skip it
- Old English processed cheese melts smoother than most aged cheeses, sharp cheddar is a fine sub
- Bake immediately after folding in the egg whites, holding the dish deflates them
- Pull when the top is deeply golden and the center jiggles only slightly
Variations
- Stir in cooked, crumbled bacon or chives before folding in the whites
- Top with breadcrumbs and butter for an even crispier crust
- Swap Old English for Gruyere for a nuttier, more sophisticated flavor
Ingredients
Directions
Boil potatoes in jackets.
Peel and force through a sieve or ricer. Pre-heat oven to 450℉ (230℃) F.
Add salt, pepper, butter, baking powder, and cream. Beat until well blended and butter is melted and absorbed in potatoes.
Combine milk, cream cheese and Old English cheese in a saucepan.
Heat, stirring, until cheese melts.
Add a few tablespoons at a time to potatoes, beating after each addition until all of the cheese mixture has been incorporated and the potatoes are light and fluffy.
Stir beaten egg yolks into potatoes.
Beat egg whites until consistency of meringue and fold into the potatoes.
Transfer to a buttered 1 ½ to 2 quart (2 litre) ovenproof casserole dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, and bake until beautifully browned, about 15 minutes.
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