Caramelized Onion Bacon Mashed Potatoes - Delicious Side Dish Recipe! (2024)

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Caramelized onions and bacon add sweet and salty flavors to these creamy caramelized onion bacon mashed potatoes.

Today, I’m sharing the ultimate comfort food side dish! But, before I talk about these caramelized onion bacon mashed potatoes, I have to give a little update on family.

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Lately, I’ve been complainingabout being busy, traveling for work a bunch, and generally having too many things to cram into each day.Well, last week, my son Eli got sick and BAM, everything came screeching to a halt.

We ended up in the hospital for a 24-hour observation stay.He’s okay (just very prone to croup and the bad things that come with it), but he scared the living daylights out of us.

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Everything got cancelled. Everyone got ignored, and I just got to focus on my baby for a little bit. We stayed home for a few days afterwards to let him rest, and I got lots of snuggles in. We watched a ton of Thomas the Train episodes while sitting in a pile of blankets and his stuffed animals.

I hate that I’m saying this (I might even regret it), but it felt luxurious. We had nowhere to go and nothing to do but be together.

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Getting to spend time with and actually focus on my boy felt like a luxury. Even though it was a resultof him being so sick, I am still grateful for the chance to spend that downtime with him, with nothing else to do. Just typing that makes me sad, but it’s the truth. It’s the plight of working Moms everywhere, I think.

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When we got back from the hospital, he was ready for a major nap. We laid him down, and I fled to the kitchen. Cooking is therapy for me and I needed to lose myself in something hands-on.I set out to make some comfort food for dinner.

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I made mustard and beer braised pork ribsand these decadent, dreamy caramelized onion bacon mashed potatoes. I would proudly serve these awesome mashed potatoes to the Queen of England, but that night, I served the ribs and these mashed potatoes to my little familyand we felt a shred of normalcy again. And that was a very good thing!

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Caramelized Onion and Bacon Mashed Potatoes

Yield: Serves 5-6

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Caramelized onions and bacon add sweet and salty flavors to these creamy, dreamy mashed potatoes.

Ingredients

For the caramelized onions:

  • 1 small white onion, thinly sliced
  • 3 tablespoons butter

For the potatoes:

  • 5 cups Yukon gold potatoes, peeled, cubed (roughly 2-3 pounds)
  • 5 cups chicken broth
  • ⅔ cup milk
  • 3 tablespoons butter, softened

Mix-ins:

  • ¼-pound bacon, cooked and diced
  • ½ cup parmesan cheese
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon pepper

Instructions

  1. Make the onions: Add onions and butter into a large skillet. Sauté on low-medium heat for 20-25 minutes, until onions are caramelized. Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon.
  2. Cook the potatoes: To a large stockpot, add cubed potatoes and chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Then, reduce heat to low, and cover. Allow to cook for 15-20 minutes, or until you can pierce through the potatoes easily with a fork.
  3. Drain potatoes, then add cooked potatoes to a large mixing bowl. Add butter and milk. Mash gently until there are no lumps. You can also use a stand mixer to mash the potatoes.
  4. To the mashed potatoes, add cooked bacon, caramelized onions, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Fold gently to combine.
  5. Serve warm.

Notes

  • I personally think that the bacon adds enough salt for this dish, so I went easy on the salt. Feel free to add more!
  • To speed the process, buy Ore Ida Steam and Mash Potatoes. They cook in the microwave in about 10 minutes and mash easily without lumps.
  • If you'd like to use heavy cream, I'd recommend substituting the ⅔rd's cup of milk with equal parts cream and chicken broth.
  • You will need 2-3 pounds of potatoes for this recipe.
Nutrition Information

Yield 6Serving Size 1
Amount Per ServingCalories 386Total Fat 22gSaturated Fat 11gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 9gCholesterol 63mgSodium 1533mgCarbohydrates 34gFiber 3gSugar 4gProtein 15g

The nutrition for this recipe is calculated by an app and may be incorrect.

Did you make this recipe?

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Love this recipe? I bet you’d also love this Bourbon Walnut Pork Tenderloin and my all-time favorite way to cook brussels sprouts, Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Balsamic Vinegar.

Caramelized Onion Bacon Mashed Potatoes - Delicious Side Dish Recipe! (7)Caramelized Onion Bacon Mashed Potatoes - Delicious Side Dish Recipe! (8)

Caramelized Onion Bacon Mashed Potatoes - Delicious Side Dish Recipe! (2024)

FAQs

What's good with caramelized onions? ›

Caramelized onions add mouthwatering flavor to almost any dish. From quiches and pizza, to burgers and grilled cheese sandwiches, this is one ingredient that will take your cooking up to a new level.

Why do people add sour cream to mashed potatoes? ›

Sour cream adds a little bit of tangy flavor and a boost of richness to mashed potatoes. It's a fun change from the standard milk or cream and butter combo usually flavoring mashed taters. You can even try your hand at making homemade sour cream from heavy cream!

Why do restaurant mashed potatoes taste better? ›

There's just something about those velvety smooth, luxuriantly creamy, full-flavored mashed potatoes that have most homemade versions beat beyond comparison. As it turns out, there is a pretty simple reason why steakhouse mashed potatoes are so much better than other versions: They don't skimp on the salt or fat.

What does Rachael Ray use to mash potatoes? ›

Mash potatoes with half-and-half or milk using a potato masher. Add in the cream cheese and smash until the cheese melts into the potatoes. Add chives or scallions. Season with salt and pepper, to your taste.

What do professional chefs use to mash potatoes? ›

Ultra-Creamy Mashed Potatoes

The ricer is the most efficient tool because one single pass is all it takes to get the job done. Epicurious food editor Jesse Szewczyk is a staunch advocate for the kitchen tool: “A ricer is something that can't be replicated or replaced.

What is the best liquid to caramelize onions in? ›

Use Water. Like I mentioned above, we want to get rid of all the water in the onions to allow for browning to take place. But once the onions do start to brown, water can be your best friend! Adding water periodically into the pan while caramelizing your onions will prevent burning.

What cheese goes well with caramelized onions? ›

Rather than layer the grated Gruyère and the warm caramelized onions in the sandwich, you should stir them together before assembling, which guarantees that the cheese will melt evenly throughout and that each bite will contain the perfect ratio of fragrant cheese to jammy onions.

Is milk or sour cream better for mashed potatoes? ›

Use whole milk for the creamiest results. Sour cream – Technically, this ingredient is optional. If you skip it, the recipe will still come out great. But for the best mashed potatoes, I highly recommend folding it in!

Is sour cream or cream cheese better in mashed potatoes? ›

Cream cheese: Use full-fat for a rich, luxurious texture. Sour cream: Adds a subtle tanginess and creamy texture. Butter or margarine: Softened to work easily into the potatoes without overmixing. Milk: Adds moisture and helps thin the potatoes for a perfect consistency when baked.

What adds flavor to mashed potatoes? ›

Extra Salt

You should be salting the boiling water and the potatoes after cooking. You can also lean on seasoning salts like Tony Chacheres, for additional flavor and salt. For a fun twist, try adding a dollop of white miso to your next batch of mashed potatoes; it's not only salty, but savory.

Why are Bob Evans mashed potatoes so good? ›

Made with fresh red skin potatoes, butter, and real buttermilk, Bob Evans Mashed Potatoes tastes like homemade. We put extra care into making our mashed potatoes rich and creamy to deliver that homemade flavor your family expects.

How does Gordon Ramsay make smashed potatoes? ›

Gordon Ramsay begins by boiling the potatoes in salted water. Next, he drains the potatoes. After that, he stirs in butter, sour cream, herbs, and seasoning. This is Gordon Ramsay's version of smashed potatoes, which differs from the one in this recipe.

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