Creamy Italian Mashed Potatoes with Mascarpone

Mashed potatoes get a touch of Italian thanks to mascarpone cheese and roasted garlic. Mascarpone Italian Mashed Potatoes are a smooth and velvety potato recipe loaded with all the tips and tools necessary to make silky, creamy, no lump mashed potatoes. Say hello to your new favorite Italian side dish, especially for the holidays!

Every dish can use a sprinkle of Italian flavor and mashed potatoes shouldn’t be left out just because they’re the star of the show at an American holiday next to their turkey breast on Thanksgiving and Christmas. These creamy Italian mashed potatoes whisper their Italian flavor because of one Italian ingredient: mascarpone cheese.

How to Make Mashed Potatoes like an Italian 

Plain mashed potatoes are definitely not a traditional Italian dish, so you know we had to add some extra flavor. 

Here’s what makes these so special for your Italian kitchen:

• Mascarpone Cheese. Since Mascarpone is an Italian Cheese this is the PERFECT addition to these Italian Mashed Potatoes. It adds a creamy richness that you will love. 
• Roasted garlic. HELLO…garlic is the ketchup of an Italian kitchen. Your potatoes wouldn’t be complete without the roasted garlic.  Don't know how? Check out this post for all the tips and tricks on how to roast garlic easily. You'll want to put it in everything!
• Milk, cream and butter. The triumverate to good mashed potatoes whether you are Italian or not!! And the key to the best mashed potatoes is the ratio between the milk and butter. Because we are using mascarpone, we don't need as much heavy cream (just ½ cup!).

What is Mascarpone Cheese?

Mascarpone is an Italian cream cheese and it's usually sold in a tub just like spreadable cream cheese. It has a slightly sweet flavor and is richer thanks to a higher content of butterfat making it the perfect ingredient to make really velvety mashed potatoes.

PSA: Mascarpone makes the best ranch dressing too...proof is right in the post!

Where is mascarpone in the grocery store?

You can typically find mascarpone at every local grocery store in the refrigerated dairy case near the cream cheese. If you have an Italian cheese case in your grocery story, it sometimes hangs out there.

Roll call: the best potato for mashed potatoes

At the risk of offending my friends in Idaho, I submit that the Yukon Gold is the best potato for mashed potatoes.

The interior is less starchy than a Russet making it a creamier potato (there's that creamy word again) to complement the mascarpone. Not to mention, the yellow flesh adds great color taking them from bland to ba-ba-ba-boom!

How to make no lump mashed potatoes

The answer? A ricer.

I am not suggesting you add rice to your potatoes. A ricer is like a handheld sieve that presses the potato into the texture of  “rice”.  

My favorite ricer is one I bought at Williams-Sonoma ages ago. It's big and made of stainless so it's easier to clean than the plastic ones. This potato ricer is one I would totally buy if I didn't have mine because it has a really large basket.

TIP

Don't have or don't want a ricer? You can use a food mill —I wouldn't recommend a food processor as you could end up with gummy potatoes.

-Josie + Nina

Step by step

• PREP
  • Start by peeling your potatoes with a sharp potato peeler. My favorite vegetable peelers are from Kuhn-Rikon.
  • Dice the potatoes into small 1" cubes [1]. This is important because you need the cube small so they'll cook faster and also fit in a ricer easily.
  • Heat the milk, cream and butter together in a measuring cup and a
• COOK
  • Add the potatoes to a large stockpot and cover them with cold water.
  • Bring to a boil and simmer for at least 10 minutes.
  • Roast the garlic in the oven.
  • Test for doneness. They should be very fork-tender and almost split when you poke one.
  • Drain into a colander.
  • Add back into the empty stockpot and toss over low heat to dry.

• RICE
  • Place the smaller holed disc in the potato ricer, if applicable.
  • In batches, spoon potatoes into a ricer set over the stockpot or large bowl [1].
  • Rice the potatoes [2].
• COMBINE
  • Stir in the mascarpone and roasted garlic clove paste [3].
  • Add the milk and butter mixture to the potatoes a little at a time,stirring to your desired consistency.
  • Season generously.

Three ways to keep potatoes warm

It's a conundrum. You want real mashed potatoes but the convenience of a mashed potato casserole. Making mashed potatoes while the Thanksgiving turkey is coming out of the oven is stressful.

Here are some tips for keeping homemade mashed potatoes warm:

• Oven method. Place your mascarpone mashed potatoes in a baking dish and pour a thin coat of milk over the top. Cover and keep warm in an 275-300˚oven. You can do this for an hour or so. Full disclosure: I've done it this way for up to 2 hours.
• Water bath method. Use the oven method but place the dish in a larger pan (like a disposable foil pan). Carefully pour boiling water from a tea kettle in between the two pans halfway up the sides of the pan with the potatoes. Cover and keep warm per the directions above.
• Slow cooker method. Use a slow cooker, Instant pot or crock pot to keep the potatoes warm on a low setting.

Storage and Reheating Tips

Storage

Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to three days.

Reheat

Cover with plastic wrap and reheat in the microwave in 30 second increments until desired temperature is reached.