Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes
Love mashed potatoes, but don’t love the stomach ache you get after eating ones that are loaded with milk, cream, butter, or a combination of the three? I’m with you!
These mashed potatoes are still rich and creamy, but they don’t pack that dairy-loaded punch like many recipes do, and if you’re feeding any vegans or folks with dairy allergies next week, then this is the best way for everyone to have their potatoes and eat them too! The potato cooking liquid is used in combination with the olive oil to loosen and mash the potatoes to your desired consistency, and the addition of chives adds a nice pop of color and flavor.
This recipe also nixes the need to peel (hello, HUGE time-saver!) by using baby potatoes instead of larger ones with thick skins. An added bonus—by keeping the skins in the mix, you automatically boost the fiber and nutrients in your mashed potatoes as well! Plus, this recipe couldn’t be any easier to make!
Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes
Serves 6-8
3 lb baby Yukon Gold or Honey Gold potatoes (sometimes called "creamer" potatoes)
1 bay leaf
Kosher salt and fresh-ground black pepper
4 TB olive oil
2 TB chopped fresh chives
Add potatoes and bay leaf to a large pot and fill with enough cold water to cover potatoes by two inches. Add 2 tsp salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil until potatoes are easily pierced with a paring knife and knife slips out of potatoes easily, about 15 minutes for potatoes the size of ping pong balls. Reserve 2 cups of potato cooking water and set aside. Drain potatoes, discard bay leaf, and return potatoes to the pot.
Add olive oil and ½ cup of reserved potato cooking water and mash to combine. You can make these as lumpy or as smooth as you’d like...simply add water in batches, and continue to mash until the potatoes have reached your desired consistency. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Add chives, and season again to taste. Serve garnished with a bit of extra olive oil and some chives scattered over the top.
Note: If you still aren't sold on this recipe and really want to use dairy in your mashed potatoes (I don't blame you, it does taste delicious!) then you can substitute milk or cream for the cooking water and butter for the olive oil. Just be sure you add the milk or cream in batches as you mash, because if you dump 2 cups of liquid into the pot of potatoes, you'll probably end up with potato soup!
What’s your favorite potato variety to use for mashed potatoes?
Cheers! Alex
