What Are Good Spices For Mashed Potatoes?

spices for mashed potatoes
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Potatoes are considered America’s favorite starch, a role that is due mainly to their versatility and ability to act as an all-purpose accompaniment to many different proteins. Mashed potatoes are one of the more popular options when it comes to potato-based sides. Unfortunately, mashed potatoes also have a reputation for blandness in some quarters. Another way to look at it is that they serve as a blank slate upon which various seasonings can shine. If you want flavorful mashed potatoes, try one of the herbs and spices below.

Table of Contents

Garlic

Garlic’s strong sulfurous, umami flavor profile adds an intense and savory quality that can make mashed potatoes a more appealing side dish. Also important is that garlic complements almost everything so that you can use garlic mashed potatoes alongside various meals. Garlic can be added to mashed potatoes in the form of a compound butter, or you can roast cloves of garlic and mash them with the potatoes.

Chives

Chives are another traditional seasoning option from the Allium family. Like other strongly flavored Alliums, chives work particularly well with subtly flavored foods. In addition to bringing a savory and herbaceous onion note to mashed potatoes, This herb has the benefit of being visually attractive. The flecks of vibrant green from finely chopped fresh chives are great for offsetting the plain yellowish-white color of mashed potatoes.

Parsley

Like chives, parsley can be used to improve the visual appeal of mashed potatoes while also adding a mild herbaceous quality to its flavor profile. The herbaceousness can help to offset the richness of the cream and butter that are usually added to help give it a creamy texture.

White pepper

The mild heat and earthiness of white pepper help to make mashed potatoes a great partner for most proteins and other vegetables. White pepper is also the preferred option for lighter-colored dishes like mashed potatoes since it does not stand out the way the dark specks of black pepper will. The uniform pale color is preferred for some applications. White pepper is a versatile spice that will work alongside all of the other seasoning options on this list.

Horseradish

Horseradish adds a mild, savory heat to mashed potatoes without affecting the color. Use horseradish along with any of the other spices suggested in this list.

Kosher salt

While it may seem that any salt will work with mashed potatoes, kosher salt can actually provide certain benefits. The main benefit is precision. Kosher salt’s large crystals allow you to gauge exactly how much salt you are adding to your food. The finer crystals of table salt are difficult to pinch precisely.

While it is often recommended that you salt the water used to cook the potatoes, adding the salt directly to the cooked potatoes before mashing them is more precise. You won’t have to consider dilution when measuring out your salt.

Bonus: Parmesan cheese

While the status of Parmesan cheese as a spice may be very debatable (it’s not), there is no question that it offers a strong flavor boost to mashed potatoes. Parmesan cheese offers richness and sharpness that stand out in a complementary way against the relatively blank profile of the potato. In addition, it is a great source of glutamates that provide the meaty umami note.