Name: Healthy Mashed Potatoes
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 5 pounds russet potatoes; 3 tablespoons unsalted butter; 1 tablespoon fresh thyme; 3 cloves garlic (, minced); 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper; 1/2 cup 2% milk; 4 ounces low-fat cream cheese (, softened)

Healthy Mashed Potatoes are the ultimate holiday side. They taste just as fluffy and rich as classic mashed potatoes, but with a few healthy swaps.

Whether you need a Side Dish for Thanksgiving or just something to round out a weeknight meal, this potato recipe is sure to be hit. Creamy mashed potatoes with lightened-up ingredients is ready in just 25 minutes. For other healthy alternatives to classic potato dishes try this recipe for Mashed Cauliflower or Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole.

HEALTHY MASHED POTATOES

This easy potato side dish is the perfect pairing for your holiday meals this season. The simple russet potatoes are flavored with garlic, fresh thyme, and butter for the perfect taste, and mashed to a delicious creamy consistency. It’s sure to be a hit at your holiday dinners. Your guests won’t even realize that they’re getting a healthier alternative.

Serve up the fluffy potatoes with other healthy versions of your favorite holiday dishes. Green Bean Casserole and Brussels Sprouts Gratin are great ways to indulge while still eating healthy.

WHAT MAKES THEM HEALTHIER?

There are a few important changes to a typical mashed potato recipe to keep these potatoes healthy and decrease the fat content. The first difference is to cut back on the amount of butter. There’s still some butter in the recipe to give it the right buttery texture, but you can always cut back more if you like the taste with less.

The second big change was to the cream the ingredients. Most mashed potato recipes will use whole milk, heavy cream, or both to make the potatoes creamy. This recipe also ditches the whole milk for 2 percent milk and uses low-fat cream cheese to achieve the same lovely consistency without any heavy cream.

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TIPS FOR MAKING HEALTHY MASHED POTATOES

Prep time: Start off by peeling the potatoes and chopping them into 2-inch cubes. If you have extra time, try soaking the potatoes in cold water for a few hours before you start the cooking process. The cold water will help remove any excess starch and give them a less sticky consistency.
Cooking time: Add the cubed potatoes to a large pot of water. Bring the water to a boil, then continue to cook at medium-high heat for 15 minutes until potatoes are tender.
Butter mixture: While the potatoes are still cooking add the butter, thyme, and minced garlic cloves to a saucepan over medium heat. Once it’s melted and combined, let the mixture sit as the potatoes finish cooking.
Combine: Drain potatoes, then add them back to the pot with salt, pepper, milk, and cream cheese. You can use a simple potato masher to mash them, or if you have an immersion blender or food processor you can use them for a more creamy velvety texture. If you want to keep chunks of potato in there you can stop earlier, or keep going until you have a completely smooth mash. Once you’ve reached your desired consistency, stir in the garlic, thyme, and butter mixture. Serve hot potatoes immediately.

VARIATIONS ON HEALTHY MASHED POTATOES

Sour cream: You can replace the cream cheese in the recipe with light sour cream. It has a similar tangy flavor and makes the same creamy texture.
Flavor additions: There are lots of different flavors you can add to this recipe with easy seasonings. Try out garlic powder, black pepper, onion powder, paprika, red pepper flakes, or parsley. You could also mix in some chopped green onions or chives.
Broth: To add some extra savory flavor to the Mashed Potatoes, you can replace the water that you cook the potatoes in with chicken broth. Or, if you want to keep it vegetarian use vegetable broth instead of chicken stock.
Vegan mashed potatoes: If you want to make the Mashed Potatoes vegan, you’ll need to replace the butter, milk, and cream cheese in the recipe. You can find vegan butter at the grocery store, and mix in coconut milk or almond milk to get the right amount of creaminess.
Potatoes: you can also try out different kinds of potatoes in your creamy mash. White potatoes, sweet potatoes, red potatoes, or Yukon gold could all work great.

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HOW TO STORE HEALTHY MASHED POTATOES

Serve: To keep the Mashed Potatoes fresh, don’t leave them at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
Store: Once the potatoes have cooled completely, you can transfer any leftovers to an airtight container. They’ll keep well in the fridge for 3-5 days.
Freeze: You could also seal the potatoes to store in the freezer for up to 10 months.

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Ingredients

▢ 5 pounds russet potatoes
▢ 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
▢ 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
▢ 3 cloves garlic , minced
▢ 1 teaspoon kosher salt
▢ 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
▢ 1/2 cup 2% milk
▢ 4 ounces low-fat cream cheese , softened

Instructions

Peel and chop the potatoes into 2-inch cubes.
Add the potatoes to a large pot covered with 2 inches of water.
Bring to a boil and cook for 15 minutes on medium-high heat.
In a small saucepan melt the butter, thyme, and garlic on medium heat until just melted, then turn it off and let it sit.
Remove the potatoes from the pot and drain the water.
Add the potatoes, salt, pepper, milk, and cream cheese together.
Mash well with a potato masher or use an immersion blender to mash well.
Stir in the garlic thyme butter mixture.
Serve immediately.

Nutrition

Keyword: Healthy Mashed Potatoes

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Healthy Mashed Potatoes