Bacon, Onion and Chive Mashed Potatoes
Creamy, fluffy mashed potatoes get a serious flavor upgrade with the additions of crunchy bacon, caramelized onions and fresh minced chives. These are the ultimate mashed potato side dish that will go with so many main courses and make the meal a special occasion.
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 30 min
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
Ingredients
Scale
4 lbs potatoes, gold or russet
salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup whole milk (you can use any milk that you prefer or even use half n half or heavy cream)
4 oz (or 8 Tablespoons) butter
1/2 lb bacon, cut into small pieces
1 onion, chopped
1 Tablespoon minced chives (you can also use other herbs, like rosemary, thyme, parsley, green onions or dill)
Instructions
- Peel and cut the potatoes into uniform pieces. Place them in a pot and pour in just enough cold water to barely cover the potatoes. Salt to taste. Cover the pot, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, and keep the pot covered, but slightly open. Cook until the potatoes are fork tender, 15-20 minutes. The timing will depend on the type of potatoes that you use and the size that you cut them.
- Meanwhile, cook the bacon on medium heat until it’s golden brown and crisp. Drain the bacon and set aside on a paper towel lined plate. Save about 1 – 1 1/2 Tablespoons on bacon grease in the skillet to cook the onions and discard the rest.
- Cook the onions also on medium heat in the bacon grease (if you don’t have enough bacon drippings, add some butter or oil) until they are tender and slightly golden. Season lightly with salt and ground black pepper, keeping in mind that the bacon grease has some salt in it too.
- In a small saucepan, heat up the milk and butter until the milk is barely simmering and the butter melts.
- Drain the potatoes and then return them to the same pot and place them on the stovetop, on low heat covered for just about a minute, to “dry” the potatoes and cook off any excess moisture.
- Mash the potatoes with a potato masher or a mixer, being careful not to overmix them. Gradually add the warm milk and butter. Add the bacon, onions and fresh chives. Mix to combine. Garnish with extra bacon and fresh herbs, if you’d like.