Mashed Potatoes with Ricotta and Roasted Aromatics Recipe on Food52 (2024)

Fall

by: AntoniaJames

February1,2010

4.5

2 Ratings

  • Serves 4
Author Notes

These work well for when you want to serve mashed potatoes, but the main dish doesn't involve gravy. I use a bit of beef stock to boost the flavor, but a good chicken stock or vegetable stock will also do nicely. The roasted onions and garlic are actually rather mild, providing a nice compliment to the fresh ricotta. You can finish either with a small spoonful of crème fraiche or another dollop of ricotta. Enjoy!! ;o) —AntoniaJames

  • Test Kitchen-Approved

What You'll Need

Ingredients
  • 1 poundyellow or sweet onions
  • 8 cloves of garlic, crushed but not peeled
  • Olive oil and salt for roasting
  • 2 poundslarge white or red potatoes, peeled and quartered
  • 1 1/2 cupshomemade beef stock (substitute the best chicken stock you can find if you don’t have homemade beef stock)
  • 1/2 cupfresh ricotta
  • 2 tablespoonshalf-and-half
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 tablespoonscrème fraiche, or additional fresh ricotta
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Put the peeled and quartered potatoes in a heavy saucepan with the beef stock and enough cold water to cover them by at least an inch. (Please see the note below, about the beef stock used for this recipe.) Make sure that the beef stock is well strained. Boil the potatoes until just tender.
  3. Cut the tops and bottoms off the onions, remove the outer layer, and slice horizontally into fat rings, about ½ inch thick. Don’t bother separating the inner rings, but don’t worry if they come out while you’re putting the onions on the pan. Put the onions on the pan, too. Sprinkle a pinch of salt over the onions and garlic, then drizzle a bit of olive oil over all of it. Toss lightly.
  4. Roast for 10 minutes. Turn the onions and garlic over on the pan, moving any onions that are browning more quickly into the center.
  5. Roast for another five minutes, or until the onion is very soft and starting to turn a medium brown color on the edges, then remove from the oven. Using a small knife or your fingers, pull the the cooked garlic flesh from the skins, cutting off the hard ends if necessary. Don’t worry about getting it all.
  6. Process the onions and garlic in a food processor until they resemble a thin sauce.
  7. Add the ricotta and half-and-half and pulse a few times to incorporate. If the potatoes are not done cooking, remove the onion mixture from the food processor and put them in a covered bowl.
  8. When the potatoes are tender, drain them. (Save the cooking liquid for making bread.) Return the potatoes to the hot pan and cook for ten or 15 seconds, to dry the potatoes out.
  9. Mash by hand using whatever method you prefer. Add the roasted onion and ricotta mixture and stir well. Add salt and pepper to taste, heat very gently to combine the flavors for a minute or two, adding more stock if you need it. You could also add half-and-half, if you prefer.
  10. Stir in the crème fraiche or additional ricotta immediately before serving.
  11. Enjoy!!
  12. Here's a note about the beef stock. If you don't have decent homemade beef broth, use the best quality of chicken broth you can find. ;o)

Tags:

  • Italian
  • Potato
  • Vegetable
  • Ricotta
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Side
Contest Entries
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  • Your Best Recipe with Fresh Ricotta

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6 Reviews

HandRocksLadle April 4, 2011

Made this last night and will definitely be making again! What a great {and delicious} idea...ricotta in mashed potatoes. Mmmmm...

boulangere March 17, 2011

Wow! This looks amazing!

hardlikearmour March 17, 2011

I've stirred cream cheese into mashed potatoes, but never ricotta. Sounds delish especially with the aromatics added!

gingerroot December 27, 2010

I made these for Christmas dinner to go with spice rubbed roasted lamb -- AJ, these potatoes were delicious. You are so right, I did not miss the typical full of cream and butter mashed potatoes one bit! I will definitely be making these again in the future. Thanks for a lovely recipe.

Maria T. February 3, 2010

Cooking potatoes in meat stock!!! Now that's something I had never thought of. Next time I'll try this method. I also like how light you make the mashed potatoes! Brilliant recipe. Thanks for sharing it.

AntoniaJames February 3, 2010

Thank you!! Well, the beef broth comes from (a) a habit when I was younger and a devout "section eater" of always saving the potatoes in beef stew until last, then mashing them with whatever gravy was in the bowl and (b) an appreciation of really great beef broth, going back to when I was 25, newly married, living in NY and shopping at the Jefferson Market, where the kind butchers gave me any kind of bones that I wanted, for free, and plenty of friendly and helpful advice on how to use virtually every cut of meat they sold. I learned more about cooking from those guys than you would ever imagine. Fortunately, all these years later -- it's been 25 years since I moved to California -- I have similarly helpful and cheerful butchers within an even better grocery store. Beef broth is the easiest thing in the world to make, and one of the truly great base ingredients for so many things -- especially mashed potatoes!!

Mashed Potatoes with Ricotta and Roasted Aromatics Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

What are some questions that the answer is mashed potatoes? ›

Here are some questions for the answer "mashed potatoes":
  • What did you eat yesterday?
  • Which do you like more, mashed potatoes or cauliflower mash?
  • What is the essential dish for Thanksgiving?

How to make mashed potatoes taste better reddit? ›

A teaspoon or two of Dijon (or more to taste) really improves mashed potatoes. I use butter, Dijon, sour cream and salt. Rondele Garlic and Herbs spreadable cheese also makes amazing potatoes, especially if you put extra roasted garlic in.

What are two facts about mashed potatoes? ›

It is generally served as a side dish to meat or vegetables. Roughly mashed potatoes are sometimes called smashed potatoes. Dehydrated instant mashed potatoes and frozen mashed potatoes are available. Mashed potatoes are an ingredient in other dishes, such as dumplings and gnocchi.

What is an interesting fact about mashed potatoes? ›

Mashed potatoes are a staple in almost every Irish household, but the side dish has a long and storied history that has little to do with Ireland. They were first a staple for the Inca Empire, and for the Spaniards who conquered the Incas and remained in Latin America mining silver.

How to make mashed potatoes Paula Deen? ›

directions
  1. In a medium saucepan, cook the potatoes in salted water until tender, about 15 minutes. ...
  2. Add the butter, sour cream and garlic.
  3. Mashr the potatoes with a potato masher or the back of a fork until the ingredients are blended.
  4. Add the milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the potatoes are the desired consistency.

Why do restaurant mashed potatoes taste better? ›

Instead of regular milk, pro chefs generally use a generous helping of buttermilk and plenty of half-and-half or (even better) heavy cream in their potatoes. If you think the bartenders up front are pouring heavy, they've got nothing on the cooks in the back who are in charge of the mashed potatoes.

What is the thing called to mash potatoes? ›

A potato masher, tater masher, bean masher, pea masher, masher, or crusher is a food preparation utensil used to crush soft food for such dishes as mashed potatoes, apple sauce, or refried beans.

What does mashed potatoes do to you? ›

Potatoes are a decent source of fiber, which can help you feel full longer. Fiber also can help prevent heart disease by keeping your cholesterol and blood sugar levels in check. Potatoes are also rich in antioxidants that prevent diseases and vitamins that help your body function properly.

What type of matter is mashed potatoes? ›

The subject of debate? Whether mashed potatoes were a liquid or a solid. In the end, of course, the TSA agents had the last word: Since the potatoes took the shape of their container, they were determined to be a liquid—specifically, a gel. That's the official TSA line.

How would you describe mashed potatoes? ›

Mashed potatoes are potatoes that have been boiled and crushed into a soft mass, often with butter and milk.

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