There are mashed potatoes, and then there are mashed potatoes with thyme infused brown butter. Our version starts with layers of flavors right from the get-go: Potatoes boiled with aromatics like celery, bay leaf, and garlic, then add a secret umami dimension to the final result. Adding thyme infused brown butter at the end is not a bad touch either.
There are two types of people in the world: potato people and rice people. Personally, I am a potato person. While we do have 8+ types of rice on our cabinet, I would choose anything potato over rice, any day of the week.
My husband on the other hand, is the rice guy. He only ever wants rice. And to my 8+ rices in the cabinet, he couldn't care less. He wants white rice, plain, calrose brand if possible. And while I try to cook what he likes, a lot the time, I just cook what I'm in the mood for, because the man loves food and will enjoy just about anything.
Over the last few years, I've been feeding him more potatoes than he's probably ever eaten in his life, and slowly, like really slowly, he's getting more into them. Who can resist Bay Leaf Braised Potatoes. But one thing that he can get behind, potatowise, is a good mashed potato. Mashed potatoes are thanksgiving anytime of the year and who doesn't love that. Turn them into mashed potatoes with thyme infused brown butter and I bet you could get anybody to try them once.
So for the potential non-potato person in your life, give these a try! Worst case scenario, is more for you!
📖 Recipe
Mashed Potatoes with Thyme Infused Brown Butter
- Prep Time: 5 Minutes
- Cook Time: 30 Minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: Serves 8
- Category: Side Dishes
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
For Mashed Potatoes
- 5 pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 head celery root, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed
- 4 tbsp. Kosher salt, divided
- 2 cups half & half
- 1 stick butter
- ½ tsp. white pepper
For Brown Butter
- 2 sticks butter
- 1 tsp. MarnaMaria Spices & Herbs Thyme
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven, combine potatoes, celery root, bay leaf, garlic cloves and 2 tbsp. Kosher salt.
- Add water until potatoes are covered and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Lower to a simmer and let cook until potatoes are fork tender, about 15 minutes.
- In a small saucepan, combine butter and half & half and 1 tbsp. Kosher salt until warmed and the butter is melted.
- Drain potatoes and return to Dutch oven. Mash potatoes while adding the half and half mixture as needed.
- Add white pepper and seasoning to taste with remaining Kosher salt.
- To make brown butter, in a shallow pan, combine butter and thyme.
- Melt butter over medium low heat so that the butter just bubbles around the edges of the pan and you begin to see foam forming on the surface.
- Let cook until the butter has turned a caramel brown color, about 5 minutes. Be careful not to overcook or burn the butter.
- Stir in half of the brown butter mixture into the mashed potatoes.
- Before serving, spoon over the remainder of the brown butter. over the mashed potatoes.
Notes
By the time we get around to mashed potatoes, the energy is running low and the stomach is ready to eat! Mashed potatoes are something that really are more tricky to make ahead than not, we like to do these at the last minute. We recommend making them in a Dutch oven, as it will hold the heat!
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