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Cheesy potato soufflé sounds fancy and fussy. But it is not! Trust me. If you can mash a potato you can potato soufflé. This whippy wonder takes lashings of cream cheese and cottage cheese, blends with butter and potatoes, whole eggs for supreme silkiness, and a sprinkling of choppy chives before being baked to lofty perfection.
Mashed potato purists, can I persuade you with a minor enhancement this Thanksgiving? My brown butter mashed potato recipe is wonderfully nutty and just as celebratory.
It’s holiday season and that means potatoes. I am in my element! As a dedicated potato lover, I am always exploring new ways to showcase my favourite vegetable. And this time I’ve done her proud!
If I ask my family what potato side dishes they’d like with their holiday roast, invariably they say roast potatoes and mashed potatoes (yes, we sometimes have two types. Don’t you??). While I could never tire of either, I do feel that a special occasion calls for a special potato dish. So, this year, I’ve come up with a hybrid of sorts; baked mashed potato, aka potato soufflé.
Unbelievably easy potato soufflé
Also known as ‘potato puff’, a potato soufflé is the three-way lovechild of fluffy mashed potatoes, baked potato casserole, and a classy soufflé. Oof! Tempted?!
As you might know, a classic soufflé is made by separating egg yolks and whites, and painstakingly folding in the latter to obtain a pillowy puff (or soufflé in French). However, a potato soufflé method is far less delicate and doesn’t come with quite as, ahem, high standards.
You could think of this cheesy potato soufflé recipe as an enriched mashed potato. While everyday mash uses butter and milk only, this protein powerhouse contains butter (ofc), two whole eggs (no need to separate), both full-fat cream cheese and blended-until-smooth cottage cheese. That’s an extra 13g of protein per portion!
The decadent mix of dairy is what gives the humble potato a dreamy, creamy texture and a pleasing lift.
Although I usually like roughly mashed mash, in this instance, I used an electric mixer for a flawless whip. When satisfyingly smooth, I folded in the mixture of dairy ingredients to the potatoes and then whipped one more time before bringing to the baking dish and onto the oven.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- The type of potato matters. The texture depends on it. Use Yukon Gold (US) or Maris Piper (UK). These floury varieties will yield the fluffiest soufflé.
- Don’t skip the steam dry. Wet potatoes equals watery mash.
- I’ve added cottage cheese to increase protein. It’s my current flex.
- But blend it before adding to the other ingredients to avoid jarring lumps.
- Use an electric mixer to mash the potatoes if you have one. They will come out seamlessly smooth.
- Add salt. Even if you think you don’t need to. A bland soufflé is a bitter disappointment.
Serving suggestions
As I mentioned, I’m serving this elegant potato soufflé on Thanksgiving, and if it goes down as well as I am expecting, it might make an appearance at Christmas too.
But there’s no need to reserve this fancy baked mashed potatoes for special occasions. They’ll go beautifully with baked salmon, roast chicken with mustard sauce,beef stroganoff, or a meat-free mushroom Wellington.
Storage and leftovers
Unlike the extreme-anxiety-over-deflation version, this laidback potato soufflé can be part made in advance. Which makes it a heaven-sent holiday side dish. Prepare the potatoes up to the point of putting in the oven and then refrigerate until needed.
The uncooked soufflé will keep covered in the fridge for 2-3 days. Follow the recipe instructions to finish the dish.
More potato side dish recipes
- Mashed Potato Casserole with Mushrooms and Caramelised Onions
- Irish Mashed Potatoes (Champ Recipe)
- Hasselback Potatoes with Gremolata
- Parmesan Mashed Potatoes
Cheesy Potato Soufflé
Ingredients
- 1kg / 2lbs potatoes, Yukon Gold US or Maris Piper UK
- 250g / 8oz cream cheese, full fat; herb and garlic or chive and onion
- 250g / 1 cup cottage cheese, full fat; blended
- 4 tbsp butter, melted or softened; divided
- 2 eggs
- 2 tbsp chives, chopped
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Cook the potatoes in a large pot of salted water until very tender. Once the potatoes are cooked, drain and steam dry them to get rid of the excess of water and cool lightly.
- Meanwhile in a large bowl whip together the cream cheese, blended cottage cheese and 2 tbsp of melted butter, then add the eggs and continue whipping until well incorporated.
- Now mash the potatoes with a potato masher, then stir in the chopped chives and add the potatoes to the creamy mix and whip one more time until well blended, add the salt to taste.
- Pour the mix into a well buttered 9×13 inch baking dish and spread it evenly, drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoon of melted butter over the top. Bake uncovered in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until the top is golden and the soufflé is slightly puffed up. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
