Cheesy mash is one of my favourite side dishes – the classic side of mashed potato made even better with the addition of cheddar cheese. I think cheesy mash pairs so well with so many meals such as sausage, beans and mash making a nice change from plain mash, sausage and gravy.
I always use cheddar cheese in my cheesy mash, but you can swap this for any cheese you’d like as long as it one which melts easily – grate it as finely as you can before adding.
If you have a Kitchenaid mixer, I recommend making your mash in there using my Kitchenaid Mashed Potato recipe.
All you need to make a quick and easy version is potatoes, milk, butter, salt and pepper. It’s quite a forgiving dish to make, so once you’ve done it a couple of times, you’ll be a pro with no need for a recipe!
Whenever I have too many potatoes in, I make a large batch of mash and freeze it in freezer bags. It defrosts lovely and is worth making in bulk I think!
I am to do 1.5 potatoes per person, roughly. The volume of mash isn’t too dissimilar to the volume of the raw potato, so judge how many potaotes you’d need from that.
How to make quick and easy mashed potatoes (mash)
Scroll down for printable recipe card and ingredient list
1. Begin by heating a large saucepan of water to boil
2. Whilst the water is heating, peel your potatoes and cut them into equal sizes. I tend to cut large potatos into 8s, and medium ones into quarters. You’re aiming for them all to be uniform in size.
3. Then add the cut potatoes into the boiling water and then immediately turn it to a high simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender (aka when you insert a fork there is no resistance and they feel soft – try this with any bigger pieces of potato
4. Then, drain the potatoes of any water
5. Return the drained potatoes into the dry pan, turn the heat to low and mash with your potato masher. Then add in the milk, butter and seasoning and continue to mash until there are no lumps and it’s smooth. Add more milk to make it smoother. Add more butter to make it richer.
6. Once you’re happy with the smoothness, sprinkle the grated cheese on top
7. Then continue to ‘mash’ the mash with your masher until the cheese is fully melted and incorporated. The heat of the potatoes will melt the cheese.
Easy Cheddar Cheesy Mash
Deliciously cheesy mashed potatoes made with grated cheddar cheese. A comforting, crowd-pleasing side that pairs perfectly with sausage and beans.
Ingredients
- 500g potatoes (Maris Piper or King Edward – about 4 medium potatoes, or 2 per person)
- 1½ tbsp butter
- 4–5 tbsp milk, plus extra if needed
- 50g mature cheddar cheese, finely grated
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large saucepan of well-salted water to the boil.
- Peel the potatoes and cut into evenly sized chunks so they cook evenly.
- Add the potatoes to the boiling water and simmer for 15–20 minutes, until completely tender and easily pierced with a fork.
- Drain well, then return the potatoes to the hot pan. Place over a low heat for 30–60 seconds to allow any excess moisture to evaporate.
- Mash until smooth, then add the butter, milk, salt and pepper. Continue mashing until creamy and lump-free, adding extra milk if needed.
- Sprinkle over the grated cheddar and continue mashing until the cheese has fully melted and is evenly incorporated.
- Taste, adjust seasoning if needed, and serve immediately.
