Mashed potato is the perfect side dish for pie or meaty sausages (Image: Getty)
The is renowned for its versatility, and mashing it into a creamy side dish is one of the most popular ways to enjoy it.
Britons love or served alongside a steaming hot pie on a cold day, but there are more ways to enjoy it.
Poppy O’Toole is arguably the best chef in the business regarding potato recipes, and her take on cheesy mashed potatoes is well worth trying.
Not only is Poppy one of the most famous British chefs on social media (@poppycooks has 4.8 million followers on and another 1.2 million on ), but the esteemed potato expert is about to publish her fourth set of recipes, The Potato Book.
Her mashed potato combines not one but three kinds of cheese for a delectable, creamy flavour and calls for neatly sliced potatoes rather than chunks before being parboiled.
:
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. Read our Privacy Policy
Delicious creamy cheese mash is easy to make with Poppy’s expert recipe (Image: Getty)
Sharing her with , Poppy revealed that her secret for mashed potato with no sign of lumps is to slice the raw spuds into thin, 2cm rounds.
For two people, the esteemed chef suggests using 600g of peeled and thinly sliced Maris Piper potatoes, ready for adding to cold water—another unusual quirk of the formula.
Cooking experts advise cooking spuds in cold water rather than boiling water because this allows them to cook more evenly, preventing the outside from cooking too quickly while the inside remains undercooked.
Starting in cold water ensures the heat penetrates the potato gradually and consistently, resulting in a better texture.
As for the note to “heavily salt” the cold water, this is done to ensure the potatoes absorb seasoning effectively.
Don’t miss… [REVEAL]
Mashed potato with cheese is smooth and creamy when you do 2 things before cooking (Image: Getty)
Three-cheese mash recipe
Ingredients
- 600g Maris Piper potatoes, peeled and sliced into 2cm rounds
- 50g mozzarella, grated
- 50g mature cheddar, grated
- 50g Red Leicester, grated
- 50g butter
- 50-75ml double cream
- Salt and white pepper
Method
Add the peeled, sliced potatoes in a saucepan of heavily salted cold water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and leave on a gentle boil for around 20 minutes “until the slices fall off the tip of a knife”, said Poppy.
Once cooked, drain the very tender potatoes in a colander and return the colander to sit on the empty pan on the turned-off hob ring.
Cover the potatoes with a clean tea towel and leave them to steam-dry for five minutes; then, in a separate small saucepan, melt the cheeses and butter with 50ml of the double cream over low heat.
Season the cheese and cream mixture well with salt and pepper. Then, while still hot, pass the steam-dried potatoes through a sieve or potato ricer into a bowl, portion by portion.
Alternatively, mash the dried potatoes with a potato masher until smooth.
Finally, fold the cream mixture into the potato while both are still hot so they combine properly. Poppy suggested that if the mash looks a bit thick, warm the remaining cream and add that, too.
Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary before serving.