Mashed potatoes are the ultimate comfort food. There are so many different ways you can jazz up plain mashed potatoes, but if you want to go ultimate seasonal, you need to mash up these pumpkin mashed potatoes. We know that pumpkin recipes and mashed potato recipes are everywhere this time of year, and this recipe is the best of both. This recipe takes so little prep time and it's easy to scale up, which makes it perfect for weeknight dinner and a holiday side dish.
You can go sweet with pumpkin mashed potatoes, adding maple syrup and pumpkin pie spice to make it more like candied sweet potatoes. But the best recipe for this side dish is on the savory side. Start with two large russet potatoes, peeled and chopped into one-inch cubes. Add the potatoes and three cloves of peeled garlic to a large saucepan and cover the potatoes with water. Bring the water to a boil and cook potatoes until they are tender, which should take a total time of about 10 minutes.
Drain the potatoes and garlic and place them in a large bowl. Mash them using a potato masher or a hand mixer on the lowest setting. In a pinch, you can use a big fork to mash them, too. Add one cup canned pumpkin puree. (Note: This pumpkin mashed potatoes recipes is an excellent way to use up the pumpkin puree leftover from the can after you make pumpkin muffins or other pumpkin recipes.) To the potato and pumpkin mixture, add 1/2 cup unsalted butter and 1/4 cup whole milk.
Stir in a cup of shredded smoked cheddar cheese. If you can't find smoked cheddar, you can use plain as well. Add at least 1/4 teaspoon salt (kosher salt works best if you have it) and one tablespoon of chopped fresh sage (about 10-12 leaves), along with fresh ground black pepper to taste. Mix everything together until it's smooth and the cheese is melted. You can also add caramelized onions for an extra rich taste, or garnish these pumpkin mashed potatoes with crispy fried onions (they're not just for green bean casserole!).
1poundpeeled and chopped russet potatoesabout two large potatoes
3clovescloves garlic, peeled
1cupcanned pumpkin purée
1/2cupunsalted butter4 ounces, cut into smaller pieces
1/4cupwhole milkat room temperature
1 cupsmoked cheddar cheeseshredded
1tablespoonFresh sageabout 10-12 leaves, chopped
1/4teaspoonkosher saltadd more to taste
ground black pepperto taste
Instructions
Add the peeled and chopped potatoes and peeled garlic to a saucepan. Add water to cover the potatoes and garlic and bring to a boil. Cook the potatoes until tender, about 10 minutes.
Drain the potatoes and garlic and place them in a bowl. Add pumpkin puree, milk and butter. Mash together until smooth.
Stir in shredded cheese and chopped sage and mix until cheese is melted. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Nutrition Facts
Make Room for Pumpkin Mashed Potatoes at the Dinner Table
Amount Per Serving
Calories 530Calories from Fat 396
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 44g68%
Saturated Fat 26g130%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.3g
Monounsaturated Fat 1g
Cholesterol 97mg32%
Sodium 555mg23%
Potassium 624mg18%
Total Carbohydrates 27g9%
Dietary Fiber 3g12%
Sugars 3g
Protein 18g36%
Vitamin A68%
Vitamin C41%
Calcium4%
Iron11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.